Patent Grant
7168433
The present invention relates to packaging and dispenser devices for cosmetic products (where the term “cosmetic products” includes care products as well as other products, such as hair coloring, dying, or treatment products). Some exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to devices for applying coloring products to, for example, locks of hair.
When a person desires to color a selected location of the hair (e.g., locks of hair) with a color different from that of the remainder of the hair, care must be taken to apply the hair-coloring product only at that selected location. At the same time, the person applying the product must also pay close attention to the locks of hair at other locations that have or have not already been colored. During such a coloring process, it may be often necessary to put down the receptacle containing the hair-coloring product in a hurry to, for example, fix the hair or apply another product and then to quickly pick it up again to apply the product in the same or another location. Under such circumstances, the person applying the product may find it difficult to pay careful attention to the manner in which the receptacle containing the product is put down and/or picked up. Some conventional receptacles having a generally cylindrical, elongated shape may also have an increased risk of being toppled over accidentally while being put down or picked up. Unfortunately, hair-coloring products are often likely to leave behind a stain that is difficult to remove from any medium onto which they might accidentally be spilled or leaked. It is therefore appropriate to ensure that there is no accidental spilling or leakage of the product.
In addition, because hair-coloring products are often relatively viscous, it may take a relatively long time for a product to flow from one location to another within a receptacle and, therefore, delivery of the product may be delayed each time the user picks up the receptacle to apply the product. This makes the treatment process lengthier and more difficult to perform.
Finally, coloring products may comprise two components, such as, for example, an oxidizer and a coloring agent, for mixing extemporaneously. With conventional receptacles, however, these components are found to be relatively difficult to mix together.
Therefore, there exists a need for a dispensing device which may be easily put down and/or picked up without paying any particular attention to the manner in which the device is put down and/or picked up, so as to reduce the risk of accidental spillage of the product contained in the device.
There also exists a need for a device which may allow the user to quickly dispense a substance from the device that has previously been put down, without having to wait for a long period of time before the substance can be dispensed again.
There also exists a need for a device that may be relatively simple and/or cheap to manufacture, so as to be compatible with mass marketing.
Although the present invention may obviate one or more of the above-mentioned needs, it should be understood that some aspects of the invention may not necessarily obviate one or more of those needs.
In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary.
In one aspect of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention may provide a dispensing device comprising a receptacle comprising a first face, the receptacle being configured to contain a substance and being configured to be rested on a horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface. The device may also comprise at least one outlet orifice for dispensing the substance contained in the receptacle. The first face may be configured such that while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface, a decrease in the quantity of substance in the receptacle causes the receptacle to tilt without causing the substance to run out through said at least one outlet orifice.
In some aspects, the device may comprise an applicator portion comprising at least one outlet orifice. As used herein, the term “applicator portion” refers to a part of a dispensing device that is configured to apply a substance to a body portion via contact with the body portion. For example, the applicator portion may include at least one applicator element, such as a bristle, a tooth, pad, etc., that is configured to apply a substance via contact with a body portion (e.g., hair, skin, nails, eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, etc.). In contrast, a device that includes merely a spraying of product from an orifice (e.g., an aerosol spray or pump spray) without having part that contacts a body portion to apply a substance does not have an applicator portion. Although some embodiments described herein include an applicator portion, it should be understood that certain embodiments might not have such structure.
In another aspect of the invention, the first face may be configured such that the tilting of the receptacle in response to a decrease in the quantity of the substance in the receptacle causes the outlet orifice to move closer to the horizontal plane surface.
In some embodiments, when the receptacle is put down after use, a certain quantity of substance remaining inside the receptacle may move closer to the outlet orifice, thereby reducing the time needed for the substance to reach the outlet orifice for the next use. This may enable a user to treat the hair more quickly, with greater accuracy and/or more enhanced comfort.
In still another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may be configured such that, while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface and while the receptacle contains the substance, the center of gravity of the receptacle shifts towards the outlet orifice as the quantity of substance in the receptacle decreases.
In yet still another aspect, the receptacle may be configured such that, while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface and while the receptacle contains the substance, the receptacle tilts about geometric instantaneous pivot axes (e.g., each of the pivot axes being defined by a line extending parallel to the horizontal plane surface and passing through a contact point between the first face and the horizontal plane surface) that are parallel to one another and to the horizontal plane surface as the quantity of substance in the receptacle in the receptacle decreases.
According to another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may be configured such that, while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface, any quantity of substance contained in the receptacle defines in one-to-one correspondence a corresponding stable equilibrium position of the receptacle.
Therefore, the receptacle may be configured such that the receptacle may rest in stable equilibrium regardless of the level of substance in the receptacle.
In another aspect of the invention, the first face may be defined by a wall having a substantially constant thickness. In still another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may not be provided with any ballast (i.e., in contrast to the subject matter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,698). For example, the receptacle may be made without any mass fitted thereto, so as to maintain the manufacturing cost relatively low.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may have a length and a width. The width may range from about 75% to about 125% of the length. In various exemplary embodiments, the width may range from about 85% to about 115% of the length. These exemplary proportions of the length and width may make the receptacle easier to mix a plurality of components or substances (e.g., an oxidizer and a coloring agent) inserted into the receptacle. It should be understood, however, that any other relative proportion between the length and width may be possible.
An aspect of the present invention may comprise a dispenser head, which may include an applicator portion. In various exemplary embodiments, the receptacle may comprise an elongated body defining a longitudinal axis, and the dispenser head may extend along a dispenser head axis that may be non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. For example, an angle between the dispenser head axis and the longitudinal axis of the elongated body may range from about 10° to about 30°. In an exemplary embodiment, the angle may range from about 15° to about 25°. It should be understood, however, that the angle may also be less than 10° or more than 30°.
In still another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may comprise a neck or any other assembly portion on which the dispenser head may be fixed or fastened. In an exemplary embodiment, the dispensing device may comprise a screw fastener to fasten the dispenser head to the neck. In another exemplary embodiment, the dispensing device may comprise a snap fastener to fasten the dispenser head to the neck. It should be understood that any other type of fastening or assembly mechanisms may alternatively or additionally be used.
In yet still another aspect, the neck and body of the receptacle may be made as a single-piece molding. In various exemplary embodiments, the receptacle may be made of a plastics material, such as, for example, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyolefins, polyamide, polyester, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
In one aspect of the invention, the neck may include a portion in relief enabling the dispenser head to be positioned in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the body of the receptacle, particularly when the dispenser head is held to the neck by snap-fastening.
In another aspect of the invention, the applicator portion may be disposed on the dispenser head. The applicator portion may be configured to comb hair. In various exemplary embodiments, the applicator portion may comprise at least one tooth. The at least one tooth may extend in a direction substantially parallel to the dispenser head axis while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface.
In still another aspect of the invention, the applicator portion may comprise at least one row of teeth. In an exemplary embodiment, the applicator portion may comprise two substantially parallel rows of teeth. The outlet orifice may open out between the two substantially parallel rows of teeth. In a variant, at least one tooth may be hollow and the outlet orifice may open out at the end of the hollow tooth or in the vicinity of that end.
In yet still another aspect, the applicator portion may comprise at least one row of teeth (e.g. two rows), with the row extending in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal plane surface when the receptacle is rested thereon with the first face being in contact therewith.
The applicator portion may be made of a plastics material, such as, for example, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyolefins, polyamide, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polymethyl methacrylate. In various exemplary embodiments, the applicator portion may be made by an injection molding process.
In an aspect of the invention, the applicator portion may comprise something other than a tooth. For example, the applicator portion may comprise, in addition or in the alternative, a tuft of bristles and/or a foam.
In another aspect of the invention, the first face may have an outwardly-facing, generally convex shape. In still another aspect of the invention, the receptacle may comprise a second face opposite the first face. The second face may comprise at least one indentation. The indentation may be positioned substantially at the center of the second face. The portion of the second face other than the indentation may have an outwardly-facing, generally concave shape.
Still another aspect of the invention may comprise a cosmetic product contained in the receptacle. The cosmetic product may comprise a hair product. For example, the hair product may comprise a hair-coloring product.
In yet still another aspect, a substance-containing capacity of the receptacle may range from about 10 mL to about 500 mL. In various exemplary embodiments, the substance-containing capacity of the receptacle is about 150 mL.
In another aspect of the invention, the device may be configured such that product is dispensed from the outlet orifice by manually pressing (e.g., squeezing) the receptacle so as to reduce an inner volume of the receptacle.
In still another aspect, the device may be configured so that the substance may have a level substantially parallel to the horizontal plane surface while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface. In yet still another aspect of the invention, the at least one outlet orifice defines an elevation with respect to the horizontal plane surface, and the device may be configured such that the level of the substance in the receptacle may remain below the elevation of the at least one outlet orifice while the receptacle is rested on the horizontal plane surface with the first face being in contact with the horizontal plane surface.
Aside from the structural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate a number of non-limiting embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
As best shown in
The receptacle 10 may comprise a first face 12 and a second face 13 substantially opposite to the first face 12. When not in use, the receptacle 10 may be placed on a horizontal surface with the first face 12 in contact with the horizontal surface.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the wall of the receptacle 10 that defines the first face 12 may be formed of a constant thickness, but may also be formed of a non-constant thickness.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
In its central region, the second face 13 may include an indentation 14 defining a zone which the user can manually press to flow the substance out of the orifice 26, as described in greater detail below. Pressing the indentation may cause reduction in an inner volume of the receptacle so that the product contained in the receptacle may be dispensed out of the outlet orifice.
The receptacle 10 may be made integrally with the neck 11 by, for example, molding a plastic material. In a particular embodiment, the receptacle 10 and the neck 11 may integrally be made by a blow-molding technique.
The wall of the receptacle 10 may be sufficiently flexible, such that each time pressure is exerted on the receptacle 10 to dispense the substance it contains, the wall can return to its initial shape due to its sufficient elasticity.
The dispenser head 20 may be made and assembled with the the receptacle 1 in numerous ways. As shown in
As shown in
The applicator portion 22 may also comprise two end teeth 25 on both ends of, and in between, the two rows of teeth 23, 24. Each of the two end teeth 25 may be of a generally flat shape in a direction perpendicular to the axis Z. The end teeth 25 may have bases situated substantially along a symmetry plane M of the applicator portion 22 containing the axis Z.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The applicator portion 22 of the dispenser head 20 may define an outlet orifice 26 between the rows of teeth 23, 24 for delivering the substance contained in the receptacle 1. The orifice 26 may be made through the wall 27 of the applicator portion 22 from which the teeth project.
The applicator portion 22 may comprise more than one orifice 26. In various exemplary embodiments, at least one outlet orifice 26 may be located closer to the end of a tooth than the base of the tooth and/or, if the tooth is hollow, at the end of at least one tooth.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the first face 12 may be configured in such a manner that when the receptacle 10 is placed on a horizontal plane surface S, the elevational position of the orifice 26 moves downwardly as the quantity of substance in the receptacle 10 is progressively emptied, as shown in
In
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the first face 12 of the receptacle 10 may be configured to enable the receptacle 10 to tilt on the surface S under the effect of the shift in the center of gravity, thereby enabling the device 1 to reach a position of stable equilibrium regardless of the quantity of substance contained in the receptacle 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the first face 12 may be almost spherical shaped, without any flat portion thereof.
Beyond the indentation 14, the distance between the first and second faces 12 and 13, as measured perpendicularly to the axis X of the receptacle 10, may decrease as it approaches from the neck 11 down to the end of the receptacle 10.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the downward tilt of the orifice 26 may enable a certain quantity of substance to be maintained in and/or close to the dispenser head 20. Thus, when the user presses the indentation 14 on the second face 13, the user may expel the substance out of the orifice 26 without having to wait for a long period a time to allow the substance to flow, under gravity, towards the outlet orifice 26. This may make the receptacle 1 easier to use.
In still another aspect of the invention, the first face 12 may be configured in such a manner that, regardless of the equilibrium position of the receptacle 1, while the device 1 is resting on the horizontal plane surface S with the first face 12 being in contact with the horizontal plane surface S, the level N of substance in the receptacle remains below the outlet orifice 26.
In various exemplary embodiments, the axis Z defined by the rows of teeth 23, 24 may remain substantially parallel to the horizontal plane surface S while the receptacle is tilting, as shown in
When the receptacle is empty, the device 1 may rest on the surface S with the axis Y of the neck 11 in a nearly horizontal position (e.g., substantially parallel to the surface S).
In order to use the device 1, the user may separate, where necessary, the dispenser head 20 from the receptacle 10 so as to be able to insert a substance into the receptacle 10. If mixing of multiple substances are desired, multiple substances may be inserted into the receptacle. For example, to obtain a hair-coloring product, an oxidizer and the corresponding coloring agent, which may be packaged separately, may be inserted into the receptacle. Thereafter, the user may then put the dispenser head 20 back on the neck 11. The flat shape of the receptacle may enhance mixing of the substances.
Thereafter, the user may dispense the hair-coloring product by pressing the indentation 14 so as to bring the first and second faces 12, 13 closer together. When the user puts the device 1 down after treating a lock of hair, the receptacle 10 may shift a certain quantity of substance closer to the outlet orifice 26, as explained above.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be applied, for example, to the shape of the receptacle 10 and/or the shape of the applicator portion 22.
The applicator portion may be fastened to the receptacle by any mechanism other than the screw-fastening. The applicator portion may also be made integrally with the receptacle.
By way of example,
Throughout the description, including the claims, the expression “a” should be understood as being synonymous with “at least one” (i.e., relating to both the singular and the plural) unless otherwise specified to the contrary.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention. Thus, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the specification. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover modifications and variations.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 07546 | Jun 2003 | FR | national |
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/485,711, filed on Jul. 10, 2003.
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| 20050025557 A1 | Feb 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 60485711 | Jul 2003 | US |
