AU646088B2 - Skin-cream application roller - Google Patents

Description

OPT DATE 15/0492 APPLN. ID) W4qq 910 AOJP DATE 28/05/92 PCT NUMBER PCT/FP91/017 INTE fiER DIE INTEkNA1UINALr, 4L-L1iVIY~tINkU\OILJ1 1AUI' LJ.'LIVI ',JLYDi. L4 AQ rAIL~x A V' 14 (PCT) (51) Internationale Patentkclassiikation 5 (11) Internationale Vcr6ffentlichungsnummer: WO 92/04842 40/26 Al (43) Internationales Veriiffentlichungsdatum: 2. April 1992 (02.04.92) (21) Internationales Aktenzeichen: PCT/EP9I,'01730 (81) Bestimmungsstaaten: AT (europdisches Patent), AU, BE (europlisches Patent), CH (europfiisches Patent), DE (22) Internationales Anmeldedatumn: (europilisches Patent), DK (europflisches Patent), ES 11. September 1991 (11.09.91) (europilisches Patent), FR (europfiisches Patent), GB (europflisches Patent), GR (europiiisches Patent), HU, IT (europfiisches Patent), JIP, LU (europflisches Patent), Priorititsdaten: NL (europaisches Patent), SE (europlisches Patent), P 40 30 334.9 25. September 1990 (25.09.90) DE SU+, US, (71)(72) Aunelder und Erfinder: ZNIDAR, Wolf DE/DE]; Mo- Verbffentlicht osstra~e 21, D-8039 Puchheim Mit internationalem Reclierchenberich.

(72) Erfinder; und Erfinder/Aunelder (nur fi-ir US) :OBERHUBER, Karl k [DE/DE]; Herzog-Johann-Strage 40, D-8000 Mflnchen 6fD jl (74) Anwalt: TER MEER, MOLLER, STEINMEISTER PARTNER; Mauetkircherstr. 45, D-8000 Mitnchen

(DE).

(54) Title: SKIN-CREAM APPLICATION ROLLER (54) llez.-ichnung: KORPERROLLER (57) Abstract Thbe roller proposed is intended to bq used to apply an oih or cream to the human skin, It includes an applicator roll ai handle and, to the handle a rod ZO0 on whose distal end the applicator roll ii: fitted so that it can rotate. The handle 2 is designed to incorporate a reservoir for the oil or cream, wvhile the connecting rod is tubular in design. In addition, the handle includes a device (8-16) designed to squeeze the oil or cream out of the handle through the tubular rod and into the applicator roll (57) Zusammenfassung Emn K~rperroller nach der Erf indung dient zum Auftragen eines schmierflihigen Mediums auf' die menschliche Haut und weist eine das Medium abgebende Auftragswalze emn Griffelement und emn mit dem Griffelement verbundenes, stangenfl~rmiges Halteelement auf, auf dessen freies Ende die Auftragswalze aufsteck- und drehbar gehalten ict. Das Griffelement Al) ist als Tank fdr das schmicrfflhige Medium ausgebildet, wihrend das stangenfdrmige Halteelement cmn Halterohr A ist. Das Griffelement weist ferner eine Auspre~einrichtung (8 bis 16) auf, urn das schmierfllhige Medium aus demn Griffelement durch das Halterohr hindurch in A die Auftragswalze pressen zu kbnnen.

Siehe ROckseite TER MEER-MOLLER-STEINMEISTER PARTNERS Dr. Nicolaus ter Meer, Dipl.-Chem. Helmut Steinmeister, Dipl.-Ing.

Frithjof E. MOller, Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Wlebusch Peter Urner, Dipl.-Phys.

Mauerkircherstrasse 45 Artur-Ladebeck-Strasse 51 0-8000 MUNICH 80 0-4800 BIELEFELD 1 Ur/du 11.09.1991 Wolf ZNIDAR MoosstraBe 21 D-8039 Puchheim Priority: Federal Republic of Germany, 25th September 1990, P 40 30 334.9 Body roller The invention relates to a body roller according to the preamble of Patent Claim 1 and, in particular, to a body roller for applying a lubricative medium to the human skin.

A body roller of this type is already known from German Offenlegungsschrift 28 25 926. It possesses an application roll which delivers an oil as the lubricative medium. The' application roll is connected by a bar-shaped holding element to a grip element, the roller being placed onto the free end of the bar-shapea holding element a ;d being rotatably mounted thereon.

In the case of the known body roller, the oil is located in a reservoir within the application ro3.l nd is discharged via openings on the peripheral surface of the application roll. The application roll can be removed from the bar-shaped holding element and accommodated in the grip element whenever the body roller is not intended to be used.

Semifluid media or creams cannot be applied using -2the known body roller, since these are unable to pass straightforwardly through the openings on the peripheral surface of the application roll.

The object of the invention is to refine the known body roller in such a way that with it even semifluid media or creams can be applied to the skin.

The way in which the defined object is achieved is specified in the characterising part of Patent Claim i. Advantageous designs of the invention can be derived from the subclaims.

A body roller according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that the grip element is configured as a reservoir for the lubricative medium, the bar-shaped holding element is configured as a holding tube and the grip element exhibits a squeezing device for forcing the lubricative medium out of the grip element through the holding tube into the application roll.

Using the body roller according to the invention, it is thus possible to apply a lubricati e medium to the skin even on inaccessible parts of the body, for example in the area of the back region. Apart from fluid media, for example, sun oils, body lotions and the like, semifluid media and creams also come intr consideration as the lubricative medium. The media can also be medically active media. Accordin to the viscosity of the medium in question, openings on the cylindrical peripheral surface of the application roll can be of larger or smaller configuration, so that the lubricative medium can only pass through them slowly whenever, due to the action of the squeezing device, the lubricative medium in the grip element is placed under the pressure necessary for this purpose.

Advantageously, the application roll exhibits a hollow-cylindrical inner member, into which the free end of the holding tube can be introduced in an axially clamping manner. The application roll then lies coaxially to the holding tube, which forms the rotational axis for the application roll. Coaxially to the inner member, 3 there is disposed at a distance from it a further outer member having the already mentioned peripheral discharge openings for discharging the lubricative medium supplied to it.

Thus, the lubricative medium, as a result of the action of the squeezing device, intially makes its way from the grip element through the tubular holding element into the hollow-cylindrical inner member and flows through the latter in the axial direction up to its frontal end. It there comes up against the front wall of the outer member and is diverted into the space situated between the outer surface of the inner member and the inner surface of the outer member. The distance between the outer surface of the inner member and the inner surface of the outer member is chosen to be of such a small size that the lubricative medium can make its way back as far as the grip element-side end of the application roll. In this case, the outlet openings for the lubricative medium in the outer member can become larger from the side of the application roll facing away from the grip element to those of its sides facing towards the grip element.

According to one very advantageous design of the invention, the discharge openings are located in a helical groove, which is situated on the outer peripheral surface of the outer member and runs in its axial direction. This helical groove serves as it were as a distribution worm to ensure an even more uniform distribution of the lubricative medium.

It is also of course possible, in the case of relatively fluid media, -o provide a porous foam layer on the outer peripheral surface of the outer member in order thereby to create a buffer for the discharged medium. The foam layer can become saturated with oil and, when pressurised as a result of the application roll being applied, can then deliver the oil onto the skin.

Advantageously, seals can be disposed between the hollow-cylindrical inner member and the holding tube in 4 order to prevent the lubricative medium from running out in the axial direction of the holding tube.

According to one very advantageous design of the invention, the squeezing device can be formed by flexible side walls of the grip element. The grip element is in this case, for example, a plastic bottle or the like, which is filled with the lubricative medium. When the bottle is compressed, the lubricative medium makes its way through the holding tube into the application roll, so that it can pass through the discharge openings on the outer peripheral surface of the latter.

The flexible bottle can perfectly well take the form of a commercially available bottle which is equipped with a locking cap or screw cap. In this case, the gripside end of the holding tube exhibits an adapter, which can be placed onto the opening of the bottle. An adapter can also however be used in those cases where the grip element is not configured as a bottle.

According to one refinement of the invention, a locking device is situated between the grip element and the application roll so that the transport of the lubricative medium from the grip element to the application roll or in the reverse direction can be interrupted whenever this is desirable.

According to one advantageous design of the invention, the grip element is of hollow-cylindrical configuration, the scueezing device exhibiting 4 piston which can be moved axially in the direction of the holding tube into the grip element. The piston can here run directly within the grip element or within a cartridge which has been inserted into the grip element.

Into the frontal end of the cartridge, there then protrudes the grip-side end of the holding tube. This end is able to penetrate, for example, the previously closed front side of the cartridge whenever the cartridge is inserted into the grip element. The grip-side end of the holding tube can also bo provided with an outer thread, onto which an exit channel in the cartridge is screwed.

In this case, an even better seal between the cartridge and the holding tube is obtained.

Preferably, the free end of the grip element exhibits a turning cap which, when rotated, gives rise to an axial displacement of the piston. Depending upon the direction of rotation of the turning cap, the piston can be moved in the direction of the application roll or away from it. As a result of the actual turning cap, the body roller acquires a compact and user-friendly structure.

The turning cap is preferably seated in a freely rotatable manner on a screw ring, which can be screwed onto the free end of the grip element. When the turning cap is rotated, a head of a coupling element, which head is situated in the interior of the turning cap, is taken up by the turning cap, the coupling element not being able to be displaced in the axial direction. The greater part of it is situated within the turning cap, but a small part of it is also in the interior of the screw ring. In this case, the coupling element can be supported against the turning cap-side front face of the cartridge or of the grip element. A piston rod of the piston, which piston rod is provided with an outer thread, is screwed into an axial thread channel of the coupling element, the piston being protected against rotation within the grip element or the cartridge, so that it can slide only in the axial direction whenever the coupling element rotates as a result of the rotation of the turning cap. In order to prevent the piston from rotating, an axial slot can be present, for example, on the outer peripheral surface of the piston, into which slot an axially running bulge on the inner wall of the cartridge or of the grip element engages.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are represented by the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a total view of the body roller in partial sectional representation, the grip element being in the dismantled state, 6 Fig. 2 shows a sectional representation of the assembled grip element, Fig. 3 shows an application roll of the body roller in partial sectional representation, and Fig. 4 shows a further illustrative embodiment of the body roller according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a body roller having a grip element 1 in dismantled representation, a holding tube 2 and an applization roll 3.

Forming part of the grip element 1 is a grip cylinder 4 having a cylinder tip 5, which tip exhibits an axial longitudinal channel 6, through which runs a grip element-side end 2a of the holding tube 2. The grip element-side end 2a of the holding tul:e 2 is firmly disposed in the axial longitudinal channel 6. A cartridge 7 is located within the grip cylinder 4 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the latter. It is also cylindrically configured. The grip element-side end 2a of the holding tube 2 protrudes through a front side 7a, facing towards it, of the cartridge 7, so that a lubricative medium can be transported within the cartridge 7 through the holding tube 2 to the application roll 3.

Following consumption of the lubricative medium present within the cartridge 7, the cartridge 7 can be replaced by a new one.

Within the cartridge 7, there is mounted, such that it can slide in the axial direction, a piston 8, which serves to force out the lubricative medium present in-the cartridge 7. The piston 8 can slide only in the axial direction and is prevented from rotating about the longitudinal axis of ths cartridge 7, for example, by the fact that an axially running bulge (not represented) on the inner wall of the cartridge 7 engages into a corresponding axial groove on the outer peripheral wall of the piston 8.

The piston 8 is firmly connected, on its surface pointing away from the front side 7a of the cartridge, to a piston rod 9, which is provided fully or at its rear 7 end with an outer thread 10. The piston rod 9 and the piston 8 can be connected to each other, for example, in one piece.

The piston rod 9 is screwed by its outer thread 10 into a thread channel 11ii of a coupling element 12. The coupling element 12 is of hollow-cylindrical configura-' tion and possesses, at its rear end pointing away from the grip cylinder 4, a head 13 of hexagonal configuration, for example, the hollow channel 14 of which serves as a further receptacle for the piston rod 9. In the hollow channel 14, which is connected to the thread channel 11, an inner thread is no longer present.

In order to be able to rotate the coupling element 12 about its longitudinal axis, a turning cap is provided, which exhibits on its inside a hexagonal recess 16, into which the head 13 of the coupling element 12 can be introduced to form a snug fit. When the turning rap 15 is rotated about its longitudinal axis, the coupling element 12 is thus jointly rotated.

The connection of the turning cap 15 to the grip cylinder 4 is served by a screw ring 17, the outer peripheral surface of which is knurled. The screw ring 17 is connected to the turning cap 15 on the front side in such a way that ths turning cap 15 can be rotated relative to it but cannot move in the axial direction. For this purpose, there can be present in the screw ring 17 an outer peripheral groove, into which radially inward pointing bosses of the turning cap 15 engage. By contr&st, the screw ring 17 exhibits on its side facing towards the grip cylinder 4 an inner thread, which can be screwed onto a frontal outer thread 18 located on a rear peripheral surface section of the grip cylinder 4. Fig. 2 shows the assembled state of the turning cap 15, the screw ring 17 and the grip cylinder 4. The coupling element 12 has been omitted for the sake of clarity.

If, in the assembled state of the elements 4, 17 and 15, the turning cap 15 is rotated with the coupling element 12 inserted, then the coupling element 12 is also 8 jointly rotated. The head 13 of the coupling element 12 can in this case be supported against the opposing front side of the grip element 4 or of the cartridge 7. For this purpose, a shoulder (not represented) can also however be present within the screw ring 17. Depending upon the direction of rotation of the turning cap 15, the piston rod 9 is in this case moved forwards or backwards in the axial direction, to be precise as a result of the screw connection between the piston rod 9 and the coupling element 12. The rotation of the piston 8 is prevented by tho rotation-protection alreap.y mentioned previously.

The already mentioned application roll 3 is fastened to the front or free end 2b of the holding tube 2. The application roll 3 in this case lies coaxially to the holding tube 2, the holding tube 2 forming the rotational axis of the application roll 3.

In the present case, the application roll 3 contains a guide tube 19 having an inner clamping and bearing sleeve 20. The clamping and bearing sleeve 20 is firmly disposed in the interior of the guide tube 19 and serves for the clamping reception or bearing of the application roll 3 on the holding tube 2, which can be pushed in the axial direction into the guide tube 19.

The guide tube 19 is surrounded coaxially by an intermediate tube 21, the inner space between the quide tube 19 and the intermediate tube 21 being hermetically sealed. This can be achieved, for example, by frontal end surfaces (not represented) between the tubes 19 and 21.

These end surfaces also then secure the relative position of the two tubes 19 and 21 to each other.

The guide tube 19, the clamping and bearing sleeve 20 and the intermediate tube 21 form the already mentioned hollow-cylindrical inner member, coaxially to which, at a distance, there is disposed an outer member 22. Between the inner wall of the outer member 22 and the I outer wall of the inner member or the outer wall of the intermediate tube 21, there is a cylindrical cavity 23 9 for receiving the lubricative me-ium. This lubricative medium passes outwards through discharge openings 24 located on the peripheral surface of the ujuter member 22.

Upon movement of the piston 8 in the direction of the front side 7a of the cartridge 7, the lubricative medium makes its way first into the holding tube 2 and is discharged from the front-sided and 2b of the holding tube 2, which is situated in the interior of the guide tube 19. Depending upon how far the front-sided end 2b of the holding tube 2 protrudes into the guide' tube 19, the guide tube 19 takes over the further transport of the lubricative mediu~m as far as the ftont side of the hollow-cylindrical inner member. The medium flows therelore in the direction of the arrow 25. Between the front side of the hollow-cylindrical inner member and the opposing front face 26 of the application roll 3, there is a narrow gap 27 (see Fig. through which the lubricative medium, emerging from the interior of the holding tube 2 or of the guide tube 19, is able to make its way into the cylindrical cavity 23.

The outer member 22 is f irmly positioned relative to the intermediate tube 21, for exampLi by distancing elements (not represented) and by means of a common front wall 28 on the side, facing towards the grip element, of the application roll 3. Between the outer wall of the holding tube 2 and the inner wall of the ,luide tube 19, there are sealing rings or seals 29, to prevent the lubricative medium from running out of the apm4ication roll 3 in the axial direction of the holding tube 2.

As can be seen with ref erence to Fig. 1 the discharge openings 24 lie in a helical groove 30 which is present on the outer peripheral surface of the outer member 22 and runs in the axial direction of the latter.

The helical groove 30 forms a distribution worm for better distribution of the lubricative medium discharged through the discharge openings 24. For example, the discharge openings 24 on the side of the front wall (sic] 26 can be smaller than on the side of the front wall 10 in order to ensure the most uniform possible discharge of the lubricative medium over the entire axial length of the application roll 3. Alternatively, however, the number of discharge openings 24 per winding of the helical groove 30 can increase from the front face 26 to the front wall 28.

Fig. 3 shows a further illustrative embodiment of an application roll 3. The application roll 3 contains the already mentioned outer member 22 and only one hollow-cylindrical inner member 31, which is drawn in hatched representation. This inner member 31 is seated in a clamping and rotatable manner on the free ond of the holding tube 2. The Lubricative medium flows in the direction of the arrow 25 and is then diverted at the front face 26 of the application roll 3 into the cylindrical cavity 23, to be precise through the gap 27.

The cylindrical cavity 23 is now situated between the inner wall of the outer member 22 and the outer wall of the inner member Jl. Otherwise the illustrative embodiment according to Fig. 3 corresponds to that according to Fig. 1.

A further .llustrative embodiment of the body roller according to the invention is represented in Fig. 4. Here, the application roll 3 exhibits the discharge openings 24 only on its outer peripheral surface, without the discharge openings coming to be situated in a helical peripheral groove. Instead of this, there is located on the surface of the outer member 22 a cylindrical foam member 32, made from porous foam, which is capable of absorbing lubricative medium discharged through the discharge openings 24.

The grip element 1 is configured in the form of a bottle 33, which is flexible, for example. By compressing the bottle 33, the lubricative medium contained therein can then be forced through the holding tube 2 into the application roll 3. For this purpose, the holding tube 2 exhibits at its bottle-side end an adapter /N 34, for example a screw cap, which can be screwed onto I 11 the rim of a bottle opening.

A locking device 35, for example a sliding mechanism, serves to close and open an inner channel situated within the adapter 34, through which channel the lubricative medium is transported. The locking device can then, for example, close the inner channel once a certain quantity of lubricative medium has been forced into tho interior of the application roll 3. Instead of in the adapter 34, the locking device 35 car, also be preEent in the area of the holding tube 2.

The entire body roller can be manufactured, for example, purely from plastic parts. The holding tube 2 can also however consist of metal, for example steel, since it is exposed to a particular stress.

It is also possible for the lubricative medium in the cartridge 7 to be placed under a positive gas pressure. In this case, a metering valve is present, e.g.

in the area of the holding tube, which can be opened and closed in order to lead the lubricative medium to the application, roll 3.

Claims (12)

1. A body roller for applying a lubricative medium to the human skin, having a grip element which i. configured as a reservoir for the lubricative medium, a holding tube connected to said grip element, and an application roll coaxially and rotatably positioned on the free end of said holding tube, said application roll exhibits a hollow cylindrical inner member, into which the free end of the holding tube can be introduced in an axially clamping manner, and delivers via its outer circumferential area the lubricative medium supplied to it from the grip element via said holding tube, characterised in that coaxially to the inner member there is situated a hollow cylindrical outer member, disposed at a distance from the inner member in order to obtain a cylindrical cavity therebetween, *oo the outer member having peripheral discharge openings, and the lubricative medium is only 2uided through the front S face opening of the holding tube and is then diverted at a front face of the application roll into the cylindrical cavity. S 6 2. A body roller according to Claim 1, characterised in that the discharge openings are located in a helical groove, which is 25 situated on the outer peripheral surface of the outer member and runs in its axial direction. 13

3. A body roller according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the outer member carries a porous foam layer on its outer peripheral surface.

4. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that seals are situated between the hollow-cylindrical inner member and the holding tube. A body roller according to any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the hollow-cylindrical inner member comprises two hollow cylinders situated coaxially to each other and firmly interconnected, the interspace between which is sealed on the front face side.

6. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to characterised in that the squeezing device is formed by flexible side walls of the grip element.

7. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to characterised in that the grip element is of hollow-cylindrical configuration and the squeezing device exhibits a piston which can be moved axially in the direction of the holding tube into the grip element.

8. A body roller according to Claim 7, characterised in that the free end of the grip element exhibits a turning cap which, when rotated, gives rise to an axial displacement of "he piston.

9. A body roller according to Claim 8, characterised in that the turning cap is seated in a freely rotatable manner on a 25 screw ring, which can be screwed onto the free end of the grip element. 14 A body roller according to Claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the turning cap takes up a head of a coupling element, which head is situated in the interior of the turning cap, the coupling element being axially firmly positioned and being provided with an axial thread channel, into which is screwed a piston rod, provided with an outer thread, of the rotation-protected piston.

11. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to characterised in that a locking device is situated between the grip element and the application roll to interrupt the transport of the lubricative medium.

12. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to 11, characterised in chat the grip-sided end of the holding tube exhibits an adapter, by which it can be connected to the grip element.

13. A body roller according to Claim 12, characterised in that the grip element is an elastic bottle, on the opening of which an adapter can be placed. a:*

14. A body roller according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, characterised in that a cartridge of lubricative medium can be inserted into the grip element. A body roller according to Claim 14, characterised in that eas* the lubricative medium in the cartridge is placed under a 9 2 positive gas pressure and a metering device is present for the 25 metered discharge of the lubricative medium from the cartridge.

16. A body roller for applying a lubricative medium to the human skin, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Abstract Body roller A body roller according to the invention serves to apply a lubricative medium to the human skin and exhibits an application roll delivering the medium, a grip element and a bar-shaped holding element (2) connected to the grip element onto the free end of which holding element the application roll is held in a mountable and rotatable manner. The grip element (1) is configured as a reservoir for the lubricative medium, whilst the bar-shaped holding element is a holding tube. 'he grip element further exhibits a squeezing device (8 to 16) for forcing the lubricative medium out of the grip element through the holding tube into the application roll (Fig. 1)