CN115175588A

CN115175588A - Refill for a device for treating hair

Info

Publication number: CN115175588A
Application number: CN202080091943.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 桑迪·拉比泽; D·海嘉奥; 梅丽莎·香浦
Original assignee: SEB SA; LOreal SA
Current assignee: SEB SA; LOreal SA
Priority date: 2019-11-05
Filing date: 2020-11-04
Publication date: 2022-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-04
Also published as: CN115175588B; FR3102650B1; WO2021089615A1; US20220400826A1; ES2955322T3; WO2021089708A1; FR3102650A1; EP4054379A1; EP4054379C0; EP4054379B1

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a refill (20) for a device (2) for treating hair, in particular for straightening hair, having: -a reservoir (23) of elongated shape along a longitudinal axis (X) defining a cavity (32) containing a cosmetic composition to be applied to the hair, the reservoir (23) having a side (36) for mounting the refill on the device, the side extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir; -a porous application member (26) for applying a cosmetic composition to the hair, the member having an elongated shape and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir (23), the application member (26) being mounted in a slot-shaped opening (31) of the reservoir (23) leading into the cavity (32), the opening (31) being laterally offset towards the mounting side (36) with respect to a median plane (M) of the cavity (32) containing the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir (23) and parallel to the mounting side (36). Another subject of the invention is the associated device.

Description

Refill for a device for treating hair

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cosmetic hair care product refill for a device for treating hair, in particular for a device for straightening hair, more particularly for a device for straightening hair having a steam outlet. The invention also relates to devices for treating hair, in particular for straightening hair, which are equipped with such refills and preferably have a steam outlet.

Background

A number of devices for treating hair, particularly hair straighteners, have been proposed to achieve the application of hair care products to the hair.

Generally, a hair straightener comprises two arms connected together by means of a pivot that can open and close the arms and comprises at least one heating element arranged on the arms. In an operation for treating a lock of hair, the hair is introduced between the two arms in the open position, and then the two arms are manually closed on the lock of hair. The lock is then subjected to the heat emitted by the heating element until the two arms open, the lock being withdrawn.

This is the case for devices such as those described in international applications WO 2009/078046, WO 2013/045331 and WO 2013/090896, which have two arms connected together so as to allow the device to be opened and closed, at least one heating member and at least one base for housing means for heat treating the hair which allow the hair care product to be dispensed during operation. The treatment device may have a support material impregnated with a hair care product.

International applications WO 2014/064660 and WO 2015/097625 disclose cosmetic refills for applying hair care products having a reservoir containing the product connected by a dispensing system and a porous application member separate from the reservoir. The product is transferred from the reservoir to the application member using a pump. This type of refill is rather bulky, complex and expensive to produce, due to the use of a pump. Application by steam devices is also mentioned.

Also, patent application US 2009/0025247 discloses a hair care product refill having a reservoir and a porous application member partially soaked in the reservoir and in contact with the hair during use of the device. The supply of product to the application member is often different for different orientations of the refill, which may be detrimental to the uniformity of the result.

International application WO 2018/091577 describes a device for heat treating hair having a steam outlet and allowing the application of a cosmetic product through a refill mounted on one arm. The refill has a reservoir into which partially extends a porous applicator member that is fixed in and centered relative to the reservoir. In this type of device, the water vapor is applied in large volumes, which reduces the effectiveness of the straightening. Furthermore, the steam comes into contact with cold walls, especially the walls of the refill, causing condensation of the steam, creating electrical safety problems.

There is a need for further improvements in safety devices for treating hair which allow the application of cosmetic compositions, in particular cosmetic compositions which are reproducible many times and easy to use.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to meet this need, and according to a first aspect thereof, the subject of the invention is a refill for a device for treating hair, in particular for heat-treating hair, in particular for straightening hair, the treatment device having:

a reservoir of elongated shape along a longitudinal axis defining a cavity containing a cosmetic composition to be applied to the hair, the reservoir having a side for mounting the refill on the device, the side extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir,

a porous application member for applying a cosmetic composition to the hair, of elongate shape and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir, the application member being mounted in a slot-shaped opening in the reservoir leading into the cavity, the opening being laterally offset towards the mounting side with respect to a median plane of the cavity containing the longitudinal axis of the reservoir and parallel to the mounting side.

By "mounting side" is understood an outer surface, in particular a flat outer surface, of the reservoir facing the device surface, in particular a device surface having a complementary shape, when the refill is mounted on the device. Such a mounting side may be a surface with or without bosses for fastening the refill to the device. Preferably, the mounting side is disposed between the longitudinal axis of the refill and the treatment surface of the device when the mounting side is mounted on the respective device. Preferably, the mounting side extends perpendicular to the treatment surface of the device when the refill is mounted on the respective device.

This type of refill can be used multiple times. Thus, there is no need to replace the refill from one use to another.

Furthermore, the lateral offset of the opening in which the application member is mounted with respect to the longitudinal axis in the direction towards the mounting side makes it possible to reduce the gap between the application member and the mounting side of the refill, thereby reducing the distance between the functional surfaces of the device, in particular the hot surfaces and/or the steam outlet, and the application member. This improves the treatment of the hair. In case the steam outlet of the device is close to the application member, the off-centre nature of the opening provided with the application member limits the steam to a small volume, making the heat treatment, in particular straightening, more efficient and reducing the risk of steam condensation. The reduced risk of condensation of steam on the device reduces the risk of scalding the user.

The mounting side is preferably provided with a profile extending along the reservoir for fastening to the processing device, the fastening profile being configured to fasten to an insertion guide of the device, in particular by sliding on the insertion guide. Preferably, the fastening profile extends between the longitudinal axis of the reservoir and the treatment surface of the device when the refill is mounted on the device. Preferably, the fastening profile extends perpendicularly to the mounting side.

The fastening profile of the refill may have two profile elements which can be mounted in the insertion guide of the device and define a space between each other in which one or more components of the device can be mounted in order to fulfill at least one additional function when required. The use of two profile elements also ensures that the refill remains correctly on the device.

Preferably, the fastening profile extends along more than 80% of the length of the refill in the insertion direction of the refill. This allows the refill to be effectively retained along its entire length.

Preferably, the fastening profile has, in cross-section, the overall shape of a central T-shaped groove, which corresponds to the space between the two profile elements.

Preferably, the fastening profile, in particular one of the profile elements, comprises a hook-like retention projection at its rear end, which is intended to engage with a clip of the device to hold the refill in place on the device. The term "rear end" refers to the end of the fastening profile intended to be mounted first in the insertion guide when the refill is fastened to the device.

Preferably, one of the profile elements, in particular one without the above-mentioned retaining projection, has a positioning finger at its rear end for easier positioning of the refill when it is inserted into the device. The locating finger may have a chamfer to make it easier to mount it in the insertion guide of the device. The chamfer may be located on an edge opposite the retention tab.

Preferably, the retention projection is longer than the locating finger.

Preferably, the positioning fingers extending from the profile elements are not as wide as the profile elements. The positioning finger may have a discontinuity on the same side as the retention projection at the point of interface with the profile element.

Preferably, the edge of the finger extending from the profile element opposite the retaining projection is located in the continuation of the edge of the profile element.

In a variant, the reservoir has a fastening profile, in particular as described above, on the outer surface of the reservoir, not on the mounting side. In this case, the mounting side may be a surface, in particular a flat surface, which does not have a fastening relief facing a complementary surface of the device.

Preferably, the cavity is cylindrical, in particular having a substantially circular cross-section. With a cylindrical reservoir having a circular base, it is possible to contain a relatively large amount of cosmetic composition, while having a good contact between the cosmetic composition and the application member. In this way, the distribution of the cosmetic composition into the application member is improved, so that the cost and environmental impact of the refill can be optimized. Furthermore, the extensive contact area between the application member and the composition contained in the reservoir promotes good impregnation of the application member, which may help to ensure that the product continues to be dispensed as the orientation of the device is changed.

Preferably, the cosmetic composition contained in the reservoir is a liquid.

Preferably, the cosmetic composition is applied to the hair in a liquid state.

Preferably, the cavity is at least partially free of porous elements. The cosmetic composition is at least partially contained in the cavity in the free liquid state, that is to say not impregnated in the porous element.

The internal volume of the reservoir may be less than or equal to 100mL, still more preferably less than or equal to 50mL, in particular from 25mL to 5mL, still more preferably from 15mL to 10mL.

The length of the cavity may be 30 to 200mm, still more preferably 50 to 150mm, and even more preferably 70 to 110mm.

The opening in the reservoir extends along a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

Preferably, the length of the opening in the reservoir is substantially equal to the length of the cavity. This allows good contact between the application member and the cosmetic composition, thereby improving the dispensing of the cosmetic composition into the application member and allowing the cost and environmental impact of the refill to be optimized.

Preferably, the opening has a constant width along its length and over its height.

In a variant, the opening has a variable width, in particular over its height. In cross-section, the opening may have a greater width at the point of entry into the cavity. This may increase the contact area between the application member and the composition and avoid that the composition is compressed too much, while having a good seal between the application member and the opening avoiding leakage of liquid. The opening may have a cross-section that widens towards the outside of the reservoir when the cross-section of the refill is viewed.

The reservoir may be opaque, translucent or transparent, preferably transparent. The reservoir may be opaque and have a translucent or transparent window.

The reservoir may have a cosmetic composition filling orifice closed by a removable stopper. In a variant, the reservoir is not intended to be refilled and does not have such a filling orifice separate from the opening into which the administration member is fitted. When a filling aperture is provided, it is preferably located at the axial end of the refill, advantageously making it possible to benefit from the cylindrical shape of the reservoir, so as to form a neck that allows removable mounting of the stopper.

The reservoir may have a removable or non-removable end cap. Such a cap may close the refill after it has been filled with cosmetic composition during its manufacture and is not removable, in particular press-fitted, glued or welded, with or without snap fastening. In a variant, the cap is removable, allowing the refill to be filled when it is empty. The lid may have a tubular sealing skirt.

The reservoir may not have an air intake aperture. This is because the application member is sufficiently porous to allow air to enter. In a variant, the reservoir has an air intake aperture. The size of the orifice is small enough to avoid liquid leakage through the orifice when the refill is inverted.

Preferably, the length of the application member is substantially equal to or even slightly greater than the length of the opening in the reservoir, preferably substantially equal to or even slightly greater than the length of the cavity.

Preferably, the application member extends from the opening into the cavity over at least a part of its height. Preferably, the application member does not fill the cavity.

Preferably, the opening has a median plane parallel to said median plane of the cavity in a cross section through the refill. Preferably, the median plane of the opening is spaced from the median plane of the cavity by a non-zero distance, which is preferably constant along the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. Preferably, the distance between the median plane of the opening and the median plane of the cavity, measured perpendicularly to the median plane of the cavity, is between 30% and 100%, better still between 70% and 100%, of the distance between the longitudinal axis of the reservoir and the lateral wall of the cavity. When the cavity is cylindrical with a circular bottom, the distance between the longitudinal axis of the reservoir and the side wall of the cavity (measured perpendicular to the median plane of the cavity) is the radius of the circular bottom.

Preferably, the applicator member is mounted in the reservoir when the refill is in use. This allows the position of the application member in the reservoir to be the same, irrespective of the height of the cosmetic composition within the cavity and the pressure exerted on the application member when the cosmetic composition is applied to the hair. Thus, the amount of cosmetic composition delivered when treating the hair is relatively independent of the orientation of the refill. Thus, the application of the cosmetic composition by the application member is easier to control and reproduce. Furthermore, the fact that the application member is not movable limits the risk of leakage of the cosmetic composition at the opening.

Preferably, the applicator member is in abutment with a wall of the reservoir.

The applicator member may be against a sidewall of the cavity within the cavity. This allows the application member to be in contact with the cosmetic composition in the reservoir, regardless of the position of the refill, and to be fixed while the device is in use.

The applicator member has an applicator portion extending out of the opening and the cavity, and a remainder portion extending into the reservoir through the opening and/or into the cavity. The application portion is preferably thicker than the rest. Preferably, when the cross-section of the refill is viewed, the thickness of the application portion is greater than the minimum width of the slot in said cross-section, and the width of the remaining portion is substantially equal to the minimum width of the slot in said cross-section. This difference in thickness makes it possible to limit the stroke of insertion of the application member into the opening, the thickness of the application portion being too large to be inserted into the opening, ensuring that the application member is fixed when the device is in use. This also makes it possible to dispense with the presence of an additional seal. The applicator member may have a longitudinally extending relief, in particular a shoulder, between the applicator portion and the rest, said relief abutting against a wall of the reservoir, in particular an outer wall of the reservoir defining the opening or a surface inside the opening complementary to the shoulder.

The application member and the fastening system may be configured such that when the refill is mounted on the fastening member, the application member extends on a median plane substantially parallel to the mounting side.

The application member can be made of any material capable of transporting the cosmetic composition by capillary action, while being capable of retaining the composition to avoid its outflow from the application member under the effect of its weight.

Preferably, the application member has sufficient stiffness to maintain its shape during application. This makes it possible to avoid "pump effects" in particular during application.

The application member is preferably completely porous.

Preferably, the application member is made of felt. In the latter case, the fibres of the felt may all be oriented substantially in the same direction, these fibres being preferably oriented perpendicular to the surface of the lock of hair to be treated or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the applicator member.

In a variant, the application member is made of a sintered material, in particular a plastic, preferably a thermoplastic sintered material, for example a polyolefin, in particular a sintered material of PE, for example a sintered material sold under the number XS-49010 by the company Porex.

The application member may be moulded or preferably extruded.

Preferably, the application member has a substantially prismatic shape, in particular a parallelogram shape, in particular a regular parallelogram shape.

The application member may have a rounded application surface to facilitate application to the hair.

The porosity of the application member, defined by the ratio of the pore volume to the total volume of the material, may be from 0.05 to 2.

The density of the application member may be 0.11 to 0.8g/cm ³ Still more preferably 0.25 to 0.5g/cm ³ Still more preferably 0.35 to 0.45g/cm ³ 。

This porosity allows good retention of the cosmetic composition in the application member, while allowing good supply of the cosmetic composition to the application surface by capillary action. Preferably, the porosity of the application member is selected according to the viscosity of the cosmetic composition such that when the application member is oriented with the opening of the cavity downwards, the application member is soaked by the cosmetic composition, but the composition does not flow out of the application member under the action of gravity.

The thickness of the application member may be less than or equal to 3cm, still better still from 0.5mm to 20mm, even still better still from 1mm to 8mm. Such thickness allows the cosmetic composition to be able to soak the application member into the core easily between two applications.

The cosmetic composition may be an anhydrous or aqueous composition.

Preferably, when the cosmetic composition is in oily form, the application member is hydrophobic. This may allow better diffusion of the cosmetic composition in the application member.

Preferably, when the cosmetic composition is in aqueous form, the application member is hydrophilic. This may allow better diffusion of the cosmetic composition in the application member.

Preferably, the application member is fixed, that is to say not removable, with respect to the reservoir. This may ensure a better sealing of the reservoir and reduce the risk of contamination of the application member, thereby improving the hygiene of the refill.

In a variant, the application member is mounted in the reservoir in a removable manner. This makes it possible to easily replace a worn applicator member, when desired, without the need to replace the reservoir. The applicator member may simply remain at the opening by friction.

The refill may have a removable cover configured to cover the administration member, in particular the administration portion of the administration member, when the refill is not in use. The removable cap is preferably configured to prevent the refill from being mounted on the device when it is secured to the refill. The removable cover may extend between the fastening profile and the reservoir when mounted on the reservoir.

The removable cover may have a relief or retention system that may secure the cover to the refill when the refill is not mounted on the device. For example, the body of the cap has one or more reliefs thereon, the shape of which is complementary to the one or more reliefs of the outer surface of the reservoir, the fastening being obtained by the cooperation of the shapes of these complementary reliefs, in particular by the snap-fastening of one or more protrusions in one or more grooves. In a variant, the retention system has an at least partially flexible entrainment, which is perforated or not, preferably elastic, and is configured to wrap around the reservoir and hold the cover in place on the reservoir. Preferably, the entrainment band is integrally formed with the remainder of the shroud. The retention system may further have a locking portion at its distal end configured to be fastened to the cover, in particular to one or more complementary locking members on the body, after the entrainment has been wound around the reservoir.

According to a second aspect of the invention, another subject of the invention is a refill for a device for treating hair, in particular for heat-treating hair, having:

-a reservoir of elongated shape along a longitudinal axis defining a cavity containing a cosmetic composition to be applied to the hair,

a profile for fastening to a handling device, which extends along a longitudinal axis of the reservoir,

a porous application member for applying the composition to the hair, having an elongated shape and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir, is mounted in a slot-shaped opening to the reservoir, which opening is laterally offset towards the fastening profile with respect to the median plane of the cavity containing said longitudinal axis.

Preferably, as mentioned above, the fastening profile is configured to extend between a median plane of the cavity containing the longitudinal axis of said reservoir and a treatment surface of the device when the refill is mounted on the device.

The features described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are also applicable to the second aspect of the invention, alone or in combination.

According to a third aspect of the invention, another subject of the invention is a device for treating hair, in particular for heat treating hair, in particular for straightening hair, having:

two arms movable relative to each other between a moved-together configuration for treating hair and a spaced-apart configuration for inserting hair to be treated between said arms, the two movable arms defining a treatment surface between each other in the moved-together configuration,

a refill as described above, removably mounted on one of the two arms.

The features described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention or the second aspect of the invention are also applicable to the third aspect of the invention, either alone or in combination.

Preferably, one of the arms has a fastening system complementary to the fastening profile of the refill.

Preferably, the device has a heating element provided on one of the arms, the two movable arms defining between each other a heat treatment surface at the heating element in the moved together configuration.

Preferably, the device has a heating element intended to come into contact with the hair, and defines a treatment surface on the opposite arm facing it, in particular when the hair is to be straightened.

Preferably, the device has two heating elements intended to be in contact with the hair and each provided on one arm, these elements defining between each other a treatment surface. The heating element or elements may each have a plate made of a material that is a good thermal conductor, defining a hot surface in contact with the hair, said surface having a temperature of, for example, greater than or equal to 95 ℃, better still 90 to 230 ℃. In this case, the heating element defines the treatment surface.

Preferably, the device for treating hair according to the invention is a hair straightener with flat heating elements, which are in contact, in particular in a moved-together configuration of the arms.

Preferably, one of the arms, in particular the arm opposite to the arm provided with the refill, has a steam outlet.

Preferably, in the moved-together configuration of the arms, the steam outlet is provided between the treatment surface defined by the heating element intended to come into contact with the hair and the application member of the refill.

Preferably, the distance of the application member from the steam outlet (measured between the median plane of the opening and the median plane of the steam outlet) is less than or equal to 10mm, still better still less than or equal to 8mm.

Preferably, the applicator member extends between the longitudinal axis of the reservoir and the treatment surface of the device. Preferably, in the moved-together configuration of the arms, the application member extends on a median plane perpendicular to the treatment surface.

The distance of the application member from the heating element (measured between the median plane of the opening and the edge of the heating element closest to the application member) is preferably less than or equal to 25mm, still better less than or equal to 20mm, even still better from 8 to 15mm.

Preferably, the applicator member has a side surface which is flush with or in contact with the surface of the device, in particular with the surface of the arm on which the refill is mounted. This limits the contact area of the refill with the steam. In particular, the passage of the application member to the steam forms a seal.

The device may have a pressing element facing the application member, the pressing element being configured to press the hair against the application member in the moved-together configuration of the arms. The pressing element is preferably mounted on a spring.

The pressing element may be configured to press the hair against the application member with a constant force, in particular from 1 to 5N, better still from 2 to 4N. This constant force allows the cosmetic composition to be applied evenly to the hair.

The device may have a comb, the applicator member extending between the comb and the heating element in the moved-together configuration of the arms.

Preferably, the cosmetic composition is applied to the lock of hair introduced into the device before the application of steam and/or straightening by the heating element and/or after combing. Thus, when the lock of hair is moved between the arms of the device, the hair introduced between the arms can come into contact with the application member before being exposed to the steam and the heating element.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a device for treating hair,

figure 2 is a view in section II-II in figure 1,

figure 3 shows schematically a perspective view of an example of a refill according to the invention,

figure 4 is a view of the refill of figure 3 taken along section IV-IV,

figure 5 shows schematically a partially exploded perspective view of the refill of figure 3,

figure 6 shows an example of a device according to the invention,

figure 7 shows the device of figure 6 when closed on a lock of hair to be treated,

figure 8 shows the device of figures 6 and 7 closed during treatment of a lock of hair,

figure 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the mass of cosmetic composition applied with the device and the number of passes of the device according to the invention on a sheet of absorbent paper,

figure 10 shows schematically a cross-sectional view of a variant refill according to the invention,

figure 11 shows schematically a cross-sectional view of a variant device according to the invention,

figure 12 shows schematically a cross-sectional view of a variant device according to the invention,

FIG. 13A shows schematically a modified refill according to the invention, an

Fig. 13B schematically shows the protective cover of the refill of fig. 13A.

Detailed Description

In the rest of the description, the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions bear the same reference numerals. For the sake of brevity, these elements are not repeated for all figures, only the differences between the embodiments are indicated.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a handpiece 2 of an example of a device for heat-treating hair according to the invention.

The handpiece 2 has two jaws 3 and 4, which are movable with respect to each other between a spaced configuration (not shown) for introducing a lock of hair between said jaws and a moved-together configuration for treatment.

The jaws 3 and 4 are carried by an upper arm 5 and a lower arm 6, respectively, which in the example in question are connected together at one end by a joint 8, the handpiece 2 thus forming a clamp.

The upper and

lower arms

5 and 6 each preferably have an overall length of 22cm to 37cm, preferably 31cm, and define respective half-grips 10 and 11 between the joint 8 and the jaws 3 and 4, on which a user can press to move the jaws 3 and 4 together.

Resilient return members (not visible) such as springs disposed about the pins of the joint 8 are preferably provided to return the jaws 3 and 4 to the spaced configuration.

The invention is not limited to one particular way of connecting the upper and

lower arms

5,6 together, and the jaws 3, 4 may be made movable in some other way without departing from the scope of the invention. However, the presence of a linker is largely preferred due to the ergonomics it provides.

The handpiece 2 is configured to heat treat hair by contact with the two

heating elements

15 and 16. The invention is not limited to the presence of two heating elements, only one heating element may be present if desired.

The jaws 3 and 4 define between each other a surface 17 for treating the hair intended to receive the lock of hair to be treated along which the handpiece 2 is moved during the treatment, for example in the direction from the root to the tip of the hair.

In the present example discussed, the handpiece 2 is configured to comb the hair by passing it through the comb 13, apply a hair care product, treat the hair by means of steam, and then heat treat the hair by contact with the two

heating elements

15 and 16.

The direction of movement D of the handpiece 2 through the hair (as shown in fig. 4) is preferably substantially perpendicular to the upper and

lower arms

5 and 6.

In the example in question, the handpiece 2 is connected by a wire to a base station (not shown) which is stationary during the treatment and is connected to a power supply.

The base station provides power to the handpiece 2 and also provides water thereto for steam generation and may perform additional functions of processing electrical signals received from the handpiece 2. Thus, the lines 18 connecting the handpiece 2 and the base station may have various electrical conductors and water supply pipes.

A user interface (not shown) may be present on the handpiece 2 to allow a user to activate or deactivate certain components thereof, for example.

The

heating elements

15 and 16 are made of any material suitable for the heat treatment to be carried out, for example metal in the form of plates, ceramic or glass.

The surface condition of the

plates

15 and 16 in the area of contact with the hair depends on the desired heat treatment, preferably the plates are smooth when the device is used for straightening hair.

The length of the plate defines the extension of the treatment surface 17 perpendicular to the direction of movement D of the handpiece 2 relative to the hair. As shown in fig. 3, the

plates

15 and 16 define, for example, a treatment surface 17, which is flat and has a rectangular profile.

For example, one of the

plates

15 and 16 is mounted in a fixed manner on the respective arm, while the other is mounted in an articulated manner, for example by means of a ball joint, so as to make the

plates

15 and 16 parallel to each other and extend to the median treatment plane in the closed configuration of the jaws. If appropriate, at least one of the plates is provided on one of the

arms

5 and 6, supported by a structure forming a spring.

The

heating elements

15 and 16 may each have a resistance powered by the base station, the temperature being preferably regulated by one or more sensors placed near the heating resistance or in contact with the plate.

The steam treatment is ensured by an evaporation member constituted by a resistive element present in an evaporation chamber 19, the evaporation chamber 19 being supplied with water by a base station. The base station may have an electrically driven pump, preferably a peristaltic pump, which draws water from a reservoir for delivery to the handpiece 2. This pump is disclosed, for example, in publication FR 2 967 018. The evaporation chamber may be made according to the teachings of application EP 2449909A1 or in some other way and communicates with at least one steam outlet.

The evaporation chamber 19 is arranged on one arm (i.e. the lower arm 6 in the example of the present discussion), and the steam outlet 58 is arranged on the same arm 6.

The evaporation member is powered by a base station and the temperature sensor is advantageously arranged in the evaporation chamber 19. The base station may be made to control the power supply to the evaporation member to maintain the steam temperature at the outlet 58 at a value of 110 ℃ to 130 ℃.

The evaporation member is mounted on one arm, in particular the lower arm 6.

The cosmetic composition is applied by means of a refill 20 carried by one of the two

arms

5 or 6, in this case the upper arm 5, which, during the closing of the two arms, is in contact with a pressing element 21 provided on the arm when there is no hair between the two arms, the arm provided with the pressing element 21 being opposite the arm carrying the refill 20 and facing the refill 20. The pressing element 21 extends along the longitudinal axis Y along the entire length of the refill 20. The refill 20 is elongate and extends along the

respective arm

5 or 6.

The pressing element 21 is accommodated in the housing 38 through a front opening in the housing 38. The housing 38 also opens outwardly through at least one opening facing the applicator member 26.

In the example shown in fig. 2, the pressing element 21 is introduced into its housing 38 by sliding a rib 45 on the housing 38 into a corresponding groove 47 on the pressing element 21. Ribs 45 are provided on opposite side walls of the housing 38. The recesses 47 in the pressing element 21 are arranged on the side walls of the pressing element 21, which respectively face the side walls of the housing 38.

The pressing element 21 is movable along an axis Q perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y between a high position spaced from the bottom of the housing 38 containing it and a low position moved together.

The pressing element 21 abuts against a support means 48, in particular one or more springs, extending into the housing 38 to allow a rocking movement of the pressing element 21 and to keep the pressing element 21 in the raised position in the open position of the

arms

5 and 6.

The stroke of the pressing element between its high and low positions is 1mm to 5mm, for example equal to about 3mm. The movement of the pressing element 21 is limited by the width l of the bottom or recess 47 of the housing 38.

The stroke of the pressing element 21 advantageously makes it possible to position the pressing element 21 in the closed position of the handpiece 2 so that the hair is substantially aligned, that is to say that the lock of hair is not offset between the portion located between the heating plates and the portion located between the pressing element and the application member. Furthermore, this allows the hair to be held on the application member with a constant and uniform pressure during use of the device. This allows for a calibrated and regular deposition of the cosmetic composition during the treatment and different treatment operations, in particular different straightening operations. Preferably, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the pressing element 21 is configured to hold the hair in contact with the application member 26 with a force F of 1 to 5N, better still 2 to 4N, independently of the clamping force applied by the user to the handpiece.

The width of the groove 47 in the pressing element 21 is greater than the thickness of the ribs on the housing 38. This difference allows the pressing element 21 to move along the axis Q.

As can be seen in more detail in fig. 2, the refill 20 has a reservoir 23, the reservoir 23 having a body 30. The body 30 defines a cavity 32 containing a cosmetic composition in a free state. The refill 20 also has a porous applicator member 26 inserted into a slotted opening 31 in the body 30, which is arranged to contact hair extending between the arms.

In the illustrated example, the reservoir 23 is elongated and extends along a longitudinal axis X and the cavity 32 is delimited by a side wall of the body 30 having a shape substantially in the form of a cylinder of revolution along the longitudinal axis X. As can be seen in fig. 5, the cavity 32 is closed at its ends by a circular cap 33. The cap 33 makes it possible to close the end of the cavity in a sealed manner after filling the cavity with the cosmetic composition during the manufacture of the refill. The cover 33 may have a seal. It may be fastened by snap fasteners or some other means. The cover 33 may be removable or preferably permanently affixed to the body 30 of the reservoir 23. The cap 33 may be arranged so that removal attempts result in the refill 20 being damaged, preventing it from being reused.

The internal volume of the cavity 32 may be substantially equal to 12mL.

Preferably, the cavity 32 extends along the longitudinal axis X along substantially the entire length of the

arms

5 and 6.

The reservoir 30 has an inner radius K, for example 1mm to 10mm, in particular substantially equal to 7.5mm, and has a length L along the longitudinal axis X equal to about 87 mm.

Reservoir 30 contains a cosmetic composition in liquid form.

The reservoir 30 has a mounting side for the refill 36 that is configured to face a surface of the device when the refill 20 is mounted on the device. This mounting side 36 extends between the longitudinal axis X of the cavity and the treatment surface 17 of the device when the refill 20 is mounted on the device.

The opening 31 in the body 30 is provided in a portion of the body laterally offset towards the mounting side 36 with respect to a median plane M of the cavity 30, which is parallel to the mounting side 36 containing the longitudinal axis X. The opening 31 opens on one side towards the outside of the body 30 of the refill 20, opens into the cavity 32 on the other side, and extends along the entire length of the cavity 32. The opening 31 forms a groove in the main body 30, which extends along a longitudinal axis O parallel to the longitudinal axis X and has a constant cross section along the longitudinal axis O.

The opening 31 and the application member 26 have one and the same median plane P, which is parallel to said median plane M of the cavity 30 and is spaced therefrom by a distance d corresponding to a portion of 70% to 100% of the radius K of the cavity.

The applicator member 26 has a substantially rectangular parallelogram shape.

The application member 26 extends along the entire length of the opening 31 and fills it to prevent any leakage of the cosmetic product from the application member 26 through the opening 31.

In the example shown in fig. 1 to 5, the applicator member 26 has an applicator portion a external to the body 30 and a remainder F for securing it, which passes through the opening 31 and extends into the cavity 32. In the illustrated example, this portion F has a thickness E, in a cross-section through the refill, which is smaller than the thickness E of the application portion a. Preferably, the thickness E of the application portion a is less than or equal to 10mm, better still less than or equal to 8mm, even better still less than or equal to 3mm. Preferably, the interface between portion F and application portion a is formed by a shoulder 34, which shoulder 34 is in abutment with the wall of the body 30 and prevents the insertion of the application portion a into the opening 31.

Preferably, the application member 26, in particular the portion F thereof, extends partially into the cavity 32.

The body 30 is made of a thermoplastic material, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polypropylene, copolyester, in particular

Elastomers or mixtures thereof, in particular mixtures of PBT and PET. Preferably, the body 30 is transparent.

The applicator member 26 may have a rectangular parallelogram shape. Thus, the application member 26 has a substantially flat application surface 37 intended to come into contact with the hair to be treated.

In the illustrated example, the applicator member 26 is porous. For example, it comprises a blend of 50% polyethylene and 50% polypropylene.

In the present embodiment, the material constituting the application member 26 is felt. The fibres of the felt may be oriented parallel to the surface of the lock of hair to be treated, the fibres preferably being oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction of the applicator member, perpendicular to the direction D through the hair. According to one variant, the fibres of the felt of the application member are oriented perpendicular to the surface of the lock to be treated, and therefore perpendicular to the direction D and to the longitudinal direction of the application member 26.

In a variant, the application member 26 is made of a porous and hydrophobic sintered material, in particular PE, for example sold by Porex corporation

The density of the application member 26 is preferably 0.35 to 0.45g/cm ³ E.g. substantially equal to 0.4g/cm ³ 。

Preferably, the refill 20 is manufactured such that the administration member 26 cannot be manually removed from the refill 20 through the opening 31 without damaging the refill 20, in particular the administration member 26 and/or the body 30. In a variant, the administration member 26 is mounted so as to be manually removable from the body of the refill 20.

The refill 20 preferably has a fastening profile 40 by means of which the refill 20 is fastened to one of the

arms

5 or 6. The fastening profile 40 is inserted into a complementary shaped slide 41 on the

arm

5 or 6.

Preferably, when the refill 20 is mounted on the device, the fastening profile 40 extends from the mounting side 36 to between the longitudinal axis X of the reservoir and the treatment surface 17 of the device.

In the example illustrated, the fastening profile 40 has the overall shape of a T, allowing the refill 20 to be correctly retained on the

arm

5 or 6. As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the fastening profile 40 may have two

profile elements

42 and 44 mounted to a slide element 41 provided on the respective arm. However, any other way of fastening the refill so that it can be removably mounted on the device may be used.

The refill 20 may have a hook 50, the hook 50 extending from the rear end of one of the two

profile elements

42 or 44 and intended to cooperate with a clip in order to hold the refill in place, the hook 50 being snap-fastened in the clip, for example at the end where it is inserted into the device, and able to be extracted therefrom by a push/pull type or similar mechanism.

The refill may also have a locating finger 80 extending from the rear end of the

profile element

42 or 44 which does not carry the hook 50, which makes it easier for the

profile elements

42 and 44 to locate relative to the ramp elements of the device when the refill 20 is secured.

The locating finger 80 may have a chamfer 82 on its edge opposite the hook 50. Such a chamfer 82 makes positioning easier.

The fingers 80 may also form discontinuities 84 on the same side as the hooks 50 at the point where they intersect the profile elements 44, the fingers 80 extending from the profile elements 44 having a width less than the profile elements 44. Thus, the refill 20 has a wider space 86 between the finger 80 and the hook 50 than between the two

profile elements

42 and 44. Such spaces 86 make it easier to fasten the hook 50 to the clip of a corresponding device.

The hook 50 may extend farther rearward than the locating finger 80 so that the locating finger 80 does not interfere with the snap-fastening of the hook 50 to the clip of the device.

As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the refill 20 has a protective cover 100 for the removable application member 26. The cap 100 covers an application portion a of the application member 26 that protrudes from the body 30 of the refill 20 in order to protect the refill 20 from the external environment when it is not in use and to limit the drying out of the cosmetic composition contained in the application member 26. As shown in fig. 4, the cover 100 may be held in place on the body 30 by a complementary relief 102 provided on the body 30.

When mounted on the refill 20, the protective cover 100 extends partially between the

fastening elements

42 and 44 and the body of the refill to prevent insertion of the refill into the chute 41. Thus, the risk of forgetting to remove the cover when in use is avoided.

In the example shown in fig. 6 to 8, the handpiece 2 has a comb 13 which is located in front of the application member 26 and the pressing element 21 in the direction of movement D of the handpiece 2. Comb 13 may be integral with pressing element 21, and in particular, may be integrally formed with pressing element 21.

Comb 13 extends parallel to and substantially along the entire length of pressing element 21. It has a plurality of teeth 55.

When the handpiece 2 is used, as shown in figures 7 and 8, the user closes the two

arms

5 and 6 on a lock of hair and moves the handpiece 2 from the root of the hair to the tip of the hair in the closed position. The following operations were performed on the hair:

first combed by a comb 13, which aligns the hair with the treatment (in particular straightening) axis,

then the product is applied by pressing the hair against the application member 26 by means of the pressing element 21, maintaining a constant and uniform pressure on the lock of hair treated,

then steam is applied through the steam outlet 58 in a space 110, which space 110 is delimited on one side by the application member 26 (which application member 26 rests on the hair on the pressing element 21) and on the other side by the two

heating elements

15 and 16 resting on the hair, and

finally between the two

heating elements

15 and 16.

In the present invention, the application member 26 is offset towards the mounting side 36 and thus towards the treatment surface 17, so that the volume of the space 110 is reduced compared to a refill-centered application member, in particular the volume of the space of the refill-centered application member is 1.1 to 2 times, better still 1.2 to 1.5 times the volume of the space 110. This restriction of the steam allows a higher concentration of steam to be in contact with the hair, thereby improving the treatment effect, in particular the straightening effect. Furthermore, such positioning of the application member 26 makes it possible to limit the area of the body 30 of the refill 20 and of the handpiece 2 that is in contact with the steam during treatment, thereby reducing the effect of steam condensation (which occurs when the steam comes into contact with cold surfaces), thus increasing the safety of the handpiece in particular from an electrical point of view.

Preferably, the volume of the space 110 is 100mm ³ To 2000mm ³ And still more preferably 700mm ³ To 1200mm ³ E.g. about 1000mm ³ 。

In the variant shown in fig. 6 to 8, the applicator member 26 is against the inner wall of the cavity 32. Such abutment may prevent the application member from being displaced due to the force exerted by the pressing element 21 when the refill is used. Therefore, the shoulder present between the application part a and the part F is not useful for obtaining this result.

The refill shown in fig. 10 differs from the refills of fig. 1 to 5 in that the opening 31 has a widened portion 120 at the point of entry into the cavity 32. Such a widened portion 120 allows the application member to be more or less permanently in contact with the cosmetic composition, irrespective of its level in the cavity 32.

The refill shown in fig. 11 differs from the refills of fig. 1 to 5 in that the opening 31 has an outwardly widened portion 122.

In the variant shown in fig. 12, the fastening profile 40 is positioned on the body 30 in a different manner than that described in the preceding figures, in particular not on the mounting side 36. The fastening profile 40 is positioned on the outer surface of the reservoir, which extends on top of the refill with respect to the opening, and the device is configured so that the complementary slide 41 is positioned facing the pressing element on the arm 5 carrying the refill.

In a variation, as shown in fig. 13A and 13B, the protective cover 100 has a main body 130, one or more flexible straps 132 extending from the main body 130 and configured to be wrapped around the refill to hold the cover 100 in place, and a locking member 134 at a distal end of the straps configured to be secured by a securing device 136 of the main body 130 of the cover once the straps have been wrapped around the refill. The clip band 132 is integrally formed with the body 130. In mounting the cap 100 on the reservoir, the body 130 of the cap is mounted on the reservoir so as to cover the applicator member 26, the clip band 132 is then wound on the reservoir, and the locking means 134 at the end thereof is secured to the body 130 to hold the cap 100 in place.

Examples

The hair care composition is applied to a sheet of absorbent paper using the handpiece 2 and refill 20 mounted on the handpiece 2 as described above with respect to fig. 1-5.

In this example, the density of the application member 26 is 0.4g/cm ³ The volume of the reservoir was 12mL.

The handpiece 2 loaded with the refill 20 makes several passes over the sheet of paper, measuring the mass of cosmetic composition applied to the paper from the reservoir at each pass; a curve corresponding to the variation of the mass M of the cosmetic composition applied at each passage with the number N of passages is given in figure 9. The measurements were performed in several time intervals of application T1 to T6 without changing the refill 20 or refilling the cosmetic composition. Between two successive applications T1 to T6, the cap 100 is placed on the refill 20 to prevent the application member 26 from drying out. Figure 9 shows different measurements for each application.

These curves show that the mass of cosmetic composition per pass is substantially constant during one application, and that the mass of cosmetic composition applied is likewise substantially constant during the application of two time intervals, without the need to refill the reservoir with cosmetic product. However, it is useful to fit the cover 100 between applications to prevent the cosmetic composition from drying out between applications.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments just described, the features of which may be combined with one another in variants that are not shown.

For example, the fastening profile may be provided on the refill in some other way, the cavity may be cylindrical with a polygonal base, and the cap may be fastened on the refill in some other way, in particular it may not prevent the refill from being mounted on the handpiece.

Claims

1. Refill (20) for a device (2) for treating hair, in particular straightening hair, having:

2. a reservoir (23) of elongated shape along a longitudinal axis (X), said reservoir (23) defining a cavity (32) containing a cosmetic composition to be applied to the hair, said reservoir (23) having a side face (36) for mounting the refill on the device, said side face (36) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir,

3. a porous application member (26) for applying a cosmetic composition to the hair, said porous application member (26) having an elongated shape and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (X) of said reservoir (23), said application member (26) being mounted in a slotted opening (31) of said reservoir (23), said opening into said cavity (32), this opening (31) being laterally offset towards a mounting side (36) with respect to a median plane (M) of said cavity (32) containing said longitudinal axis (X) of said reservoir (23) and parallel to said mounting side (36).

4. Refill according to claim 1, wherein the mounting side (36) carries a profile (40) extending along the reservoir for fastening to the processing device, the fastening profile (40) being configured to fasten to an insertion guide (41) of the device, the opening (31) opening out between a longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir and the fastening profile (40).

5. Refill according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cavity (32) is cylindrical, in particular has a substantially circular cross-section.

6. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (31) has a constant width along its length over its height.

7. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the application member (26) extends over at least part of its height through the opening (31) into the cavity (32).

8. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (31) has, in a cross section through the refill, a median plane (P) parallel to the median plane (M) of the cavity (32) and spaced from the median plane (M) of the cavity (32) by a non-zero distance d, measured perpendicularly to the median plane (M) of the cavity, which is preferably constant along the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir, in particular corresponding to a portion of 30% to 100%, better still 70% to 100%, of the distance K between the longitudinal axis (X) of the reservoir and the side wall of the cavity (32).

9. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator member (26) is in abutment with a wall of the reservoir (23).

10. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator member (26) has an applicator portion (A) extending at least partially outside the opening (31) and the cavity (32) and a remainder portion (F) extending through the opening (31) into the reservoir and into the cavity (32), the applicator portion (A) being thicker than the remainder portion (F), the applicator member (26) preferably having a shoulder (34) between the applicator portion (A) and the remainder portion (F) which is against the wall of the reservoir (23).

11. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator member (26) is made of felt, the fibres of which are all oriented, in particular substantially, in the same direction.

12. Refill according to any one of the preceding claims, which has a removable cap (100) configured to cover the application member (26), in particular the application portion (A) of the application member, in particular when the refill (20) is not in use.

13. Device for the thermal treatment of hair (2), in particular for straightening hair, having:

14. two arms (5, 6), the two arms (5, 6) being movable relative to each other between a moved-together configuration for treating hair and a spaced-apart configuration for inserting hair to be treated between the arms, the two movable arms (5, 6) defining a treatment surface (17) between each other in the moved-together configuration,

15. refill (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is removably mounted on one of the two arms (5.

16. The device according to claim 11, having a heating element (15.

17. The device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein one of the arms (5.

18. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the application member (26) has a distance v from the steam outlet (58), measured between a median plane (P) of the opening (31) and a median plane (S) of the steam outlet (58), and less than or equal to 10mm, better still less than or equal to 8mm.

19. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, having a pressing element (21) facing the application member (26), the pressing element being configured to press hair towards the application member (26) in the moved-together configuration of the arms (5, 6), the pressing element (21) preferably being mounted on a spring (48) configured to press hair towards the application member (26) with a constant force, in particular a force of 1N to 5N, better still 2N to 4N.