Patent Grant
7409957
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an applicator end-piece suitable for dispensing at least two products. The end-piece can be particularly advantageous for applying hair dyes, in streaks, to the hair. The invention also provides an applicator end-piece operationally mounted on compartments or receptacles containing products to be distributed, to form a device for packaging and applying at least two products.
2. Discussion of Background
Assemblies are known that propose separate packaging for two products while dispensing them together, with a view to producing a composition, particularly a cosmetic composition, as used, for example, in the hair-dyeing field. This type of assembly allows the extemporaneous mixing of the two products (e.g., a dye and an oxidizing agent) that, for reasons of stability, are kept separate from one another until the dye composition is formed.
Examples of this type of assembly are described in documents US A 2003 0121936 and US A 2003 0019883.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,446,398 teaches end-pieces in the form of a comb that includes an interior channel opening out via a plurality of outlets, with the outlets provided between teeth of the comb. The channel of one such comb is fed with products to be dispensed by way of the mounting of the end-piece on a handle that includes a plurality of reservoirs respectively containing the products. One inlet of the channel, upstream of all the outlets, receives the flows of products emanating from each of the compartments. A mixture is then produced at each inlet of the channel and this homogeneous mixture is dispensed from the outlets.
Thus, when a user wishes to produce highlights in her hair, she can, using known, state-of-the-art devices, produce highlights using one and the same dye composition formed extemporaneously upstream or downstream of the dispensing end-piece and, in such cases, produce highlights of the same color in her hair. However, to provide variations in tone of these highlights it is necessary to very precisely control the respective periods of contact of the mixture on the various locks of hair. The production of gradations of highlights over an entire head of hair thus becomes extremely complex, particularly when the user is producing her own highlights. With these known devices it is, furthermore, practically impossible to simultaneously produce highlights in colors, not just in tints, that are different.
For highlights in colors, end-pieces are known that include a plurality of interior channels each opening out at a different outlet. For example, from the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,462, a portable device is known, for example, in the form of a gun, that includes four receptacles that each include a different dye product. This assembly is put together such that each receptacle is in fluid communication with one or more channels of the comb so that each of the products contained in the receptacles is dispensed separately at at least one or even a plurality of separate orifices.
However, with a portable assembly of this type, the user who wishes to produce gradations of highlights must have purchased or herself prepared the dye compositions in the receptacles such that these compositions are of different tints but tints that are close to one another. Furthermore, the portable assembly will not enable her to widen the palette of colors that can be produced on her hair unless the structure of the assembly is modified, and the modified assembly would then include added-on receptacles and as many, if not more, supplementary dispensing orifices and channels.
There is a need, not satisfied by state-of-the-art devices, for a device that makes it possible to produce gradations of highlights in different tints without requiring the use of as many reservoirs as there are different tints to produce. There is also a need for a device that makes it possible easily to produce highlights of intermediate tints as compared with highlights that may be achieved directly using commercially available tints.
The device for packaging and applying at least two products, particularly hair-treatment products, according to the invention, aims to satisfy some and preferably all the above objectives. According to a preferred example, the device includes a first compartment suitable for containing a first product and a second compartment suitable for containing a second product. In addition, an applicator end-piece is provided which includes at least two orifices for dispensing the product, with the end-piece being mounted such that each orifice is in fluid communication with at least one of the compartments. Further, at least one of the dispensing orifices is in fluid communication with the first and second compartments. Moreover, the end-piece includes an interior distributor dividing the flows of products emanating, respectively, from the compartments, such that a first orifice dispenses a first mixture of first and second products in different proportions from those of a second mixture of these products dispensed by a second orifice.
The advantage of the invention is that it makes it possible to use a device of this type in order to dispense, for example, two hair-dye products and thus allow the application of a gradation of colors varying from a first color corresponding to the first, pure product to a second color, corresponding to the second, pure product. The dyeing achieved can thus have a more natural effect and may be obtained in a short time after the first application of the products.
According to preferred examples of the invention, it is possible to dispense, via the first orifice, a first, non-zero proportion of the flow of first product and a second, non-zero proportion of the flow of second product, with the complementary proportions of the flows of first and second products being dispensed via the second orifice.
By way of example, the proportion of one of the products of one of the two mixtures may be zero if desired.
Advantageously, and by way of example, the end-piece may include at least three orifices such that a first orifice is in fluid communication with the first receptacle only, a second orifice is in communication with the first and the second receptacle, respectively, and a third orifice is in communication with the second receptacle only. Three tints can thus be obtained emanating separately from the end-piece, whereas only two dyes are contained separately in the receptacles.
Preferably, the end-piece can include a chamber divided into at least two zones by the distributor, with inlets respectively connected to the receptacles and feeding these zones, and outlets in communication with a dispensing orifice, and with each zone including at least one outlet. By way of example, a first zone may include at least two outlets of different sections, with each of these two outlets opening out in a separate orifice. Also, by way of example, a second zone may include at least two outlets of different sections and of different relative proportions from the relative proportions of the two outlets of different sections of the first zone, and with each of these two outlets opening out in a separate orifice.
For example, the inlets may open out at a lower face of the chamber, with outlets provided on an upper face of the chamber. According to this example, the distributor may extend at least partially orthogonally to the lower face. Still according to this example, and as a complement or additional option, the distributor may also extend at least partially orthogonally to the upper face.
According to a particular example of an embodiment of the invention, the chamber can be parallelepipedal with the distributor extending along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.
Advantageously, the end-piece may include teeth arranged, for example, so as to form a comb. In this case, one of the orifices may open out in a hollow formed between two teeth. In a variant embodiment, an orifice may open out in an end portion of a tooth. Further, by way of example, the orifice may open out laterally relative to the end portion of a tooth, towards a space defined between two adjacent teeth. Preferably, the compartments each have a main extension axis, with these axes being, in particular, parallel to one another, such that the teeth extend either parallel to or in a surface that is secant, and preferably perpendicular, to at least one of the main extension axes.
According to another example, the device may include an assembly within which the two receptacles are placed, such that the end-piece is retained on this assembly in communication with the receptacles.
Advantageously, the receptacles can be arranged for dispensing the products they contain. For example, one of the receptacles can include manually compressible walls so as to allow the exit of the product it contains into the end-piece, through the effect of a force applied over an outer periphery of these walls. In a variant embodiment, one of the receptacles can include a piston arranged in a bottom of the receptacle, the rise of which piston in the receptacle allows the end-piece to be fed with product. Advantageously, both receptacles can be equipped with a piston, which makes it possible to dispense the products in a repetitive, identical manner in both zones.
In a further preferred example, the first product is a first hair dye and the second product is a second hair dye different from the first hair dye, with the two products being intended for application to the hair.
If appropriate, the end-piece may include at least three inlets for connection, respectively, to at least three receptacles. In this case, the chamber may be divided into three zones by the distributor, with each of the zones being fed, respectively, by one inlet. In a variant, the end-piece includes three inlets opening out in two zones such that a first zone receives all the first product and a proportion of the second product, whereas the second zone receives all the third product and the complementary proportion of the second product.
The invention also provides an applicator end-piece suitable for dispensing at least two products, with the end-piece including a chamber divided into at least two zones by an interior distributor, and with the zones being fed with the products via supply inlets. Each zone includes at least one outlet, with the end-piece including at least two dispensing orifices, each in fluid communication with at least one outlet. In addition, according to a preferred example, at least one of the dispensing orifices is in fluid communication with two zones. Moreover, the interior distributor is arranged such that the flow of products arriving, respectively, via the inlets is divided via the outlets such that a first orifice dispenses a first mixture of first and second products in different proportions from those of a second mixture of these products dispensed by a second orifice. By way of example, a first zone can include two outlets, whereas a second zone can include one outlet.
Advantageously, the end-piece can include three dispensing orifices. In a variant embodiment, the end-piece may include a plurality of dispensing orifices.
For example, a first ratio of a section (or cross-sectional area) of a first outlet in communication with a first zone to a section (or cross-sectional area) of a second outlet in communication with a second zone, with this first outlet and this second outlet feeding one and the same first dispensing orifice, is preferably different from a second ratio of a section of a third outlet in communication with the first zone to a section of a fourth outlet in communication with the second zone, with this third outlet and this fourth outlet feeding a second dispensing orifice different from the first dispensing orifice. Even according to this example, an outlet may be closed off and thus effectively have a zero cross-section. In this case, the ratios of sections may have a finite or non-finite value.
Advantageously, a first zone includes at least two outlets of different sections, with each of these two outlets opening out in separate orifices. In this case, a second zone may include at least two outlets of different sections and of different relative proportions from the relative proportions of the two outlets of different sections of the first zone, with each of these two outlets opening out in separate orifices.
According to a particular example of an embodiment, the inlets open out at a lower face of the chamber, and outlets are provided on an upper face of this chamber. The distributor then preferably extends at least partially orthogonally to the lower face and, possibly, at least partially orthogonally to the upper face. More particularly, the chamber may be parallelepipedal and, in this case, the distributor preferably extends along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.
Advantageously, the end-piece may include teeth arranged, for example, so as to form a comb. In this case, one of the orifices may open out in a hollow formed between two teeth. In a variant, an orifice may open out in an end portion of a tooth. In addition, by way of example, the orifice may open out laterally relative to the end portion of a tooth, towards a space defined between two adjacent teeth.
As a variant embodiment, the end-piece may include at least three inlets in order to be mounted, respectively, on at least three receptacles, with these inlets opening out in a chamber divided into at least three zones by the distributor, and with each of the zones being fed, respectively, by one inlet.
The invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:
The receptacles 3 and 5 contain products, preferably differing from one another, which may be supplied via the openings 6 and 7 into the end-piece 1. For example, the receptacles can include a suitable expedient for entraining the exit of the products towards the end-piece 1.
According to a first variant embodiment, at least one wall of a receptacle is flexible and may be pushed in manually so as to create an excess pressure in the enclosure of the receptacle and thus give rise to the exit of the product. In the example presented, the receptacles 3 and 5 are side by side. In this case, and according to the first variant embodiment, the two receptacles are thus preferably identical and form, for example, two flasks or bottles with flexible side walls.
According to a second variant embodiment, the receptacle can cause the exit of the product it contains by using, for example, a piston, provided or not provided with a device for entraining or moving the piston from outside the receptacle. It is to be understood that other suitable expedients can be used for urging or drawing the product from the receptacles to the end-piece.
Further, by way of example, the two receptacles or compartments 3 and 5 may correspond to two compartments formed in one and the same assembly and, in this case, the end-piece can be mounted directly on the assembly.
In
The inlets 2 and 4 of the end-piece 1 open out in a chamber 9 of the end-piece 1. This chamber 9 has an interior structure which makes it possible to keep the flows of products arriving, respectively from the two receptacles via the inlets 2 and 4, separate. In the illustrated example, the structure includes a distributor 10 (
According to the example illustrated in
Each zone includes at least one outlet for allowing the product to exit as far as the dispensing orifices of the end-piece. In the illustrated example, the first zone 11 includes a first outlet 13 and a second outlet 14. The outlet 13 is connected by a first channel 15 (
The first orifice 16 thus dispenses a proportion of 100% of the first product and none of the second product, whereas the second orifice 17 dispenses non-zero proportions of each of the two products. The proportion of the two products dispensed by this second orifice 17 depends on the proportion in which the second channel 19 is fed with each of two products.
Considering the view of
However, in a variant embodiment, provision may be made for an outlet such as 14 and/or 18 to open out in an intermediate channel of variable section in order later to open out in the channel 19. In this case, therefore, in order to determine the future proportion of the product dispensed it is necessary to consider the smallest of the sections of the intermediate channel between the outlet and the arrival opening.
In all cases, with an end-piece according to the invention and such an interior distributor 10, it is possible to deliver mixtures in all or varying proportions of the two products supplying, respectively, the two zones 11 and 12.
Preferably, the end-piece 1 includes more than two dispensing orifices. For example, according to
For example, the end-piece 1 includes a plane of symmetry such that each zone includes as many outlets, with the outlets of one zone being symmetrical with that of the other zone. More precisely, the first zone 11 includes a third outlet 22 and a fourth outlet 23. In a symmetrical manner, the second zone 12 then includes, also, four outlets, i.e. three outlets in addition to the outlet 18. These outlets are arranged such that the orifices furthest away from one another of the end-piece distribute solely and respectively one of the products and such that the three orifices arranged between these distant orifices dispense mixtures of these two products.
According to the example of
Obviously, any other internal configuration of the end-piece also falls within the scope of the present invention, irrespective of the number of orifices provided in excess of two. Furthermore, by adapting the dimensions and number of outlets provided per zone, it is possible to achieve an almost infinite number of variants of end-piece arrangements according to the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that variations in, for example, the sizing, arrangement, and proportions of the various apertures and conduits, can be used in accordance with the present invention. In a variant embodiment, the position of the distributor 10 inside the chamber 9 may also make it possible to dispense any product whatsoever at any orifice whatsoever. Thus, while the invention is particularly advantageous for hair products such as hair dye products, it is to be understood that the invention can also be used for other products.
It is thus possible to dispense as many different mixtures of two products as there are different dispensing orifices, each orifice being fed with these two products in individual and thus possibly different proportions. As an option, provision may be made to close off some of the dispensing orifices, if certain proportions of mixtures are not desired.
In
In particular, by way of example, the outlets of the zones are extended via intermediate channels such as 29, extending orthogonally to the upper face 28 in order to open out in a first portion 30 of a channel such as 15 or 19. This first portion 30 extends orthogonally to the intermediate channel 29 and thus parallel to the upper face 28. This first portion 30 is extended by a second portion 31 of said channel such as 15 or 19, where the dispensing orifice such as 16, 17, 24, 25 or 26 is defined.
In the example embodiments shown in
In a variant embodiment, the second portion 30 includes a supplementary elbow or piece across this portion forming a mixer obstacle. The mixer obstacle, for example in the form of a helix, or a supplementary elbow, help to create turbulences or disturbances or obstructions in the flow of the products inside the channel. These turbulences help to produce a homogeneous mixture of the two products such that the products are intimately mixed when they exit at the dispensing orifice.
Alternatively, by way of further example, according to the embodiment of
In the example shown in
The teeth of such a comb form blades in
In a variant embodiment (
According to the variant embodiment presented in
Preferably, the free ends of the teeth such as 36 are in line with the free ends of the spikes such as 35. Thus, the depth at which hairs may be caught between two teeth such as 36 is greater than the depth defined between two spikes such as 35. When the end-piece 1 is moved along the hair, a first curtain formed of locks of hair selected for coating is placed in a different plane from the plane of extension of the curtain formed by the mass of hair not to be coated and caught in the teeth such as 36. The locks of hair are thus better separated from the rest of the hair.
The spacing between the locks of hair produced is a function of the spacing provided between the teeth. The closer the teeth are to one another, the more packed the locks of hair will be. For example, the teeth may be packed to such an extent that they make it possible to produce mutually juxtaposed highlights without intermediate locks of hair that are not coated with product. This provides a continuous web of gradations. In a variant embodiment, and in order to obtain a more natural effect, the spacing between two consecutive teeth can be such that it is not constant.
In particular, according to the example of
According to the example of
Throughout the description, expressions such as “including a” (or “including one”), “having a,” or “comprising a” and similar expressions for numbers greater than one, must be understood as being synonymous with “including at least one” (or at least two, etc.) unless specified otherwise.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 50103 | Jan 2004 | FR | national |
This document claims priority to French Application Number 04 50103, filed Jan. 20, 2004 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/539,585, filed Jan. 29, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2446398 | Wilson | Aug 1948 | A |
| 2819723 | Meyer | Jan 1958 | A |
| 4893729 | Iggulden et al. | Jan 1990 | A |
| 5088849 | Johnson et al. | Feb 1992 | A |
| 6012462 | Schmittou | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6402841 | Vesterlund et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6877924 | Mears et al. | Apr 2005 | B1 |
| 20030019883 | De Laforcade | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030106905 | Chan et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030121936 | De Laforcade | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20050184091 | Abergel | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 0 875 460 | Nov 1998 | EP |
| 2 647 093 | Nov 1990 | FR |
| 2 735 105 | Dec 1996 | FR |
| 2 774 072 | Jul 1999 | FR |
| 11-342983 | Dec 1999 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050184091 A1 | Aug 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60539585 | Jan 2004 | US |
