EP0549780B1 - Applicator assembly for liquid, particularly cosmetic, composition - Google Patents

Abstract

The applicator assembly (1) is characterized in that the bottle (3) has a case (10) supplied by capillary slots (11, 12). In order to obtain a good impregnation, the case (10) has an internal shape (25) similar to that of the applicator endpiece (6). The rod (7) has a shoulder (8) which bears on a sealing seat (9). A ratchet device (17, 15) is provided in the neck (4) and in the rod (7) in order to maintain the shoulder (8) in bearing contact on the seat (9). The applicator (6) and the bottle (3) are provided with a corresponding undulation system (16) so that, when rotating the cap (5) slightly about its axis, opening is effected progressively.

Description

The present invention relates to an applicator assembly for a liquid or pasty product such as a cosmetic product; it relates more particularly but not exclusively to products of the "eye liner" or "mascara" type.

Such an applicator assembly is known in particular from French Patent No. 2 603 780 in which is described a bottle comprising a neck, the opening of which narrows towards the bottom of the bottle to lead to a passage, in which the end d '' an applicator brush penetrates to be impregnated with cosmetic product. With an "eye liner" type tip, therefore very fine, the passage has a very small diameter, in which a capillary effect is produced sufficient for the bottle not to leak, even when it is put upside down. With a "mascara" type product, the applicator necessarily has a larger diameter and the result is that the diameter of the passage is at least of the order of 2 to 3.5 mm; in this case, the bottle leaks if it is put upside down, because there is no more capillary effect.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback.

To achieve this goal, it is proposed, according to the invention, to have the applicator element in a case, which prevents the passage of the product to the outside; however, capillary orifices are provided in the case to maintain the impregnation by capillarity of the applicator element. US-A-3,951,157 had already proposed, in a similar assembly, to install an applicator element in a slot case, but these non-capillary slots cooperated with a powdery product and could not have prevented the flow of a liquid product.

FR-A-1 517 002 relates to a bottle for nail varnish comprising a tubular container receiving the applicator, this tubular container communicating with the interior of the bottle by a filling hole which is not a capillary orifice.

FR-A-1 076 477 relates to a deformable sealing joint more particularly intended for products based on very volatile solvents, for example nail varnish, and does not involve a capillary orifice.

The present invention therefore relates to an applicator assembly for a liquid or pasty product, such as a cosmetic product, comprising a bottle, which delimits a reservoir for the product and which is provided with a neck, and a removable cap, capable of close the neck of the bottle, the cap internally carrying a rod at the end of which is fixed an applicator element so that, for the closed position of the cap, the applicator element penetrates into the bottle and is impregnated with the product, a shoulder being carried by the cap and intended, in the closed position of the cap, to bear on a seat integral with the bottle, said seat comprising a central orifice allowing the passage of said applicator element from one side to the other of the seat, said bottle containing a case, the inner recess of which is adapted to the external shape of the applicator element, said case being arranged so that, in the posi tion of closure of the cap, the applicator element is housed therein, said case comprising in its wall at least one opening characterized in that the product packaged in said assembly is an eyeliner or a mascara and that the shoulder is arranged on the rod, said seat being of corresponding shape and connected to said case, said at least one opening provided in the wall of said case being a capillary opening allowing the product to impregnate the applicator element but preventing the flow of the product, from the tank where it is located to the outside.

Thus, the positioning of the applicator element no longer conditions, as was the case in French patent 2 603 780, the leakage flow of the product, since the product must pass through the capillary openings of the case; the applicator element no longer bathes directly in the product contained in the bottle, which, moreover, avoids pollution of the reservoir by the applicator element, but it permeates the product in a sort of mini auxiliary reservoir constituted by the 'case, which case is supplied with product by a capillary passage which is specific to it and which is independent of the presence of the applicator element. This fact alone already ensures a certain retention of the product even when the bottle is overturned; however, the applicator assembly is advantageously made with a sealing seat arranged in the bottle and made of an elastic material.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stem of the cap of the applicator assembly comprises an annular snap-in element located between the shoulder and the cap, facing a corresponding snap-fitting element arranged in the bottle, the snap-fastening of one of the annular elements on the other ensuring the maintenance of the cap on the bottle in the closed position with establishment of pressure between the shoulder of the rod and the sealing seat. The use of a snap closure makes it possible to avoid a screw thread closure, which implies the adoption of a large external diameter for the applicator assembly. In this way, the packaging according to the invention can be more aesthetic.

Advantageously, the neck and the cap of the applicator assembly annularly have corresponding corrugated shapes so that a relative rotation of the cap relative to the bottle causes a progressive axial displacement of one relative to the other and sufficient to cause the release of the snap elements of the rod and of the bottle. Thus, to avoid an excessively rough opening, a system of the type described, for example, in French patent 2,470,737, allows a gradual opening so that the separation of the cap from the neck takes place without sudden jerking, even if the snap-fastening is very hard to ensure energetic support of the shoulder of the rod on its sealing seat.

It is clear that the cross section of the capillary opening (s) of the case will be greater the more viscous the product; there are preferably provided capillary openings each having a cross section between 0.1 and 25 mm2; advantageously, the outer wall of the case is provided for at least one of the capillary openings, with a capillary groove ending in said capillary opening, the groove being, for example, formed in the axial plane of the case. According to another possibility, the groove can be in annular form along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the case. The groove can in particular be delimited by two edges, which converge towards the capillary opening throughout the thickness of the wall of the case. These grooves facilitate the supply of product to the capillary openings and constitute reserves for the impregnation of the applicator element.

When the applicator element has a generally cylindrical shape, it can be provided, for good spinning of the applicator element, that the orifice of the seat has a section slightly smaller than that of the applicator element.

According to a preferred embodiment, the snap-fitting element, arranged in the bottle to maintain the cap in the closed position, is formed on a spacer, which itself supports an end piece, one end of which forms the case, said end piece carrying an axial bore where the sealing seat is arranged.

Alternatively, the sealing seat in the bottle is made of an elastic material. It can also be provided that the spacer is made of elastic material, in particular so that the snap-fastening of the cap on the neck provides a support force resiliently maintained from the shoulder of the rod to its seat.

All kinds of applicator elements are provided, in particular brush or felt, feather, foam, possibly flocked.

The present invention also relates to an applicator assembly for a liquid or pasty product, such as a cosmetic product, comprising a bottle, which delimits a reservoir for the product and which is provided with a neck, and a removable cap, capable of close the neck of the bottle, the cap internally carrying a rod at the end of which is attached an applicator element so that, for the closed position of the cap, the applicator element penetrates into the bottle and is impregnated with the product, a shoulder being carried by the cap and intended, in the closed position of the cap, to bear on a seat, integral with the bottle, said seat having a central orifice allowing the passage of said applicator element from one side to the other of the seat, said bottle containing a case, the internal recess of which is adapted to the external shape of the applicator element, said case being arranged so that, in the closed position of the cap, the applicator element is housed therein, said case comprising in its wall at least one opening characterized in that the product packaged in said set is an eyeliner or a mascara and that the shoulder is formed on the rod, said seat being of corresponding shape and connected to said case, said at least one opening provided in the wall of said case being a capillary opening allowing the product to impregnate the applicator element but preventing the flow of the product , from the tank where it is located to the outside.

In a preferred embodiment of the set for applicator for eyeliner or mascara defined above, the outer wall of the case is provided, for at least one of the capillary openings, with a capillary groove ending in said capillary opening.

The present invention will be better understood with the description of two purely illustrative and nonlimiting exemplary embodiments, shown in the accompanying drawing.

• la figure 1 représente, en coupe axiale, un ensemble applicateur selon une première variante de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 représente, en détail, le système d'ouverture à ondulations de l'applicateur de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 représente, en coupe axiale, un ensemble applicateur selon une deuxième variante de l'invention ;
• la figure 4 représente, en perspective, le système d'ouverture à ondulations de cette deuxième variante ;
• la figure 5 représente en détail une variante de l'embout de l'ensemble applicateur de la figure 3.
• la figure 6 représente la modification d'un détail de la figure 1.

On this drawing :

• Figure 1 shows, in axial section, an applicator assembly according to a first variant of the invention;
• Figure 2 shows, in detail, the corrugated opening system of the applicator of Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 represents, in axial section, an applicator assembly according to a second variant of the invention;
• Figure 4 shows, in perspective, the corrugated opening system of this second variant;
• FIG. 5 shows in detail a variant of the tip of the applicator assembly of FIG. 3.
• FIG. 6 represents the modification of a detail of FIG. 1.

In Figure 1, there is shown an applicator assembly 1 in the closed position comprising a bottle 3 provided with a neck 4 and a cap 5 for closing the neck. The bottle 3 constitutes a reservoir for the product 2, for example a mascara, which it is desired to distribute with said applicator assembly.

The cap carries, integral with it, a rod 7 at the end of which is fixed an applicator element 6 which, in the case of FIG. 1, is a brush provided with very tight bristles; but it could just as easily be a felt, a feather, or a foam, flocked or not, or any other element suitable for the application of the product 2; the form shown is substantially cylindrical but a slightly tapered applicator element pointing down could be used.

• une ouverture 11 circulaire avec un diamètre adéquat en fonction de la viscosité du produit ;
• une ouverture 12 rectangulaire reliée à une rainure 13 aménagée longitudinalement sur la surface extérieure de l'étui 10, la rainure 13 ayant, dans un plan axial de l'étui 10, une forme triangulaire dont un sommet est occupé par l'ouverture 12.

The applicator element 6 is housed in a case 10 integral with the bottle 3; the internal shape of the case 10 is adapted to the external shape of the applicator element 6 so that the latter is impregnated with the product 2, which product enters the case through at least one capillary opening; two variants of capillary openings are shown, namely:

• a circular opening 11 with an adequate diameter as a function of the viscosity of the product;
• a rectangular opening 12 connected to a groove 13 arranged longitudinally on the external surface of the case 10, the groove 13 having, in an axial plane of the case 10, a triangular shape, a vertex of which is occupied by the opening 12.

It is clear that, in the same assembly, it will be preferred, if there are several capillary openings, that they all have the same conformation, the representation of the two types of opening in the same FIG. 1 being intended only for illustrate two possible embodiments of the openings.

In both cases, depending on the viscosity of the product, it comes to constitute at the opening 11, 12, a capillary reserve of product ready to impregnate the applicator element 6; the groove 13 makes it easier to access the product at the opening 12 and to constitute a supply reserve.

To homogenize the product, and / or break its thixotropy by agitation, a ball 40 can be placed in the reservoir of the bottle 3.

Because the product 2 can only leave the bottle through the capillary openings 11, 12, the applicator assembly is already relatively sealed both in the open position and in the closed position; it is however preferable to provide it with a sealing system acting in the closed position such as that shown and produced by the cooperation of a frustoconical annular shoulder 8 arranged on the rod 7 with a frustoconical seat 9 of corresponding shape arranged on a spacer 30 inserted in the bottle. The case 10 constitutes one of the ends of a nozzle 14, which is mechanically retained by its other end on the spacer 30. The bearing force necessary for this sealing system is obtained by a snap bead 15 provided on the rod 7 to rest on a shoulder 17 arranged in the neck of the bottle 3.

In the end piece 14, a throttle 50 is provided, which allows said brush to be wrung when the user is going to use it by removing it from the bottle 3; thus a possible excess of product 2 is removed because the diameter of the orifice 50 is slightly less than the outside diameter of the brush 6.

The presence of the snap cord 15 and the shoulder 17 produces a snap-action effect both at closing, which is desired for sealing, and at opening, which can be harmful by causing, for example, a possible risk of projection of drops of the product. To avoid this, there is provided, on the one hand, a certain flexibility in the method of fixing the nozzle 14 in the bottle 3, on the other hand, an opening system comprising corrugations of the type described in the patent French 2,470,737.

The desired flexibility is achieved by means of the end piece 14 which constitutes, on the one hand, the sealing seat 9 and, on the other hand, the case 10 but this is not an obligation; this unique piece is made of an elastic material. The elastic material, capable of providing the desired flexibility, can be, for example, a natural rubber, a polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer, a nitrile or silicone rubber, or even a polyethylene.

An easy, and therefore progressive, opening system can be achieved by means of corresponding corrugated shapes 16 arranged opposite the neck of the bottle 3 and on the cap 5, so that by slightly turning the cap 5 around its axis, a sufficient axial force is exerted to disengage the snap bead 15 relative to the shoulder 17. In this variant, the corrugations 16 are internal to the applicator assembly so that they do not appear seen from the 'outside.

Figure 2 shows the ripple opening system. In the closed position of the cap, the corrugations interpenetrate like gears; for opening, by giving the cap 5 a rotational movement, as if it were screwed, the sliding of the corrugations one on the other causes an axial displacement of the cap 5 relative to the bottle 3, since the force resulting of the torque exerted in the rotary direction decomposes, by reaction, into two components, one of which is axial and causes the cap 5 and its associated applicator element 6 to rise.

Figure 3 is a variant quite similar to that of Figure 1; similar elements have the same references incremented by 300. The bottle 303 is provided with a neck 304; the cap 305 is provided with an applicator element 306 carried by a rod 307. In the neck 304, a spacer 330 has been put in place, the upper edge of which is hung on the free edge of the neck and the lower part of which supports a nozzle. 314, the lower part of said end piece constituting a case 310 where the applicator element 306 is housed. The applicator element 306 is made of foam and has a slightly conical shape; this is why the case 310 also has an internal surface 325 which is slightly conical in order to obtain a good impregnation with the product 302. The product 302 enters the case 310 by two capillary openings 311, 312, which are shown here at the same with a circular section.

In the embodiment according to Figure 3, there is a piston during the establishment and during the extraction of the applicator 306. During the extraction, this piston creates a vacuum, which results in a improvement of the passage of the liquid towards the applicator just at the time of its extraction.

The same result can be obtained with the embodiment of FIG. 1 if a bead b (see FIG. 6) comes to bear against the cylindrical walls on the cylindrical part arranged between the cord 15 and the conical bearing 8 of element 14. To avoid excessive pistoning, this bead can be interrupted by indentations e so as to create a leak but, nevertheless, upon extraction of the applicator, a slight depression will be created.

In the variant of Figure 3, there is no wringing device, which would be ineffective given the taper of the applicator element 306. The rod 307 has a frustoconical bearing 308, which comes to bear on a frustoconical seat 309 arranged so that the assembly constitutes a sealing system similar to that of FIG. 1 under the references 8 and 9. The seat 309 is formed in the axial bore of the end piece 314. The element of snap-fastening is achieved by the cooperation of a shoulder 317 of the spacer 330 with a shoulder 315 of the rod 307. In this variant, the spacer 330 is much more elongated and less thick than that of Figure 1, it is made of elastic material; on snap-fastening, the rod 307 is pushed elastically towards the frustoconical seat 309, which ensures good sealing by the support (seat 309 / bearing 308). The bottle opening system comprises annular corrugations 316 formed on the neck 304 and the cap 305; these corrugations are nested one inside the other as for the embodiment of FIG. 1 but they are here produced externally, on the surface of the bottle 303, so that the corrugations 316 are visible from the outside. In Figure 4, this outside visibility is well shown thanks to a perspective view. The mode of action of the corrugations 316 is exactly the same as in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows, in axial section, a tip 514 suitable for a slightly conical applicator element (not shown). The case 510 comprises in this example four capillary openings 512, (three of which are visible in FIG. 5) of rectangular section, to which four grooves 513 lead, to bring the product to the impregnation zone. The internal shape 525 of the case 510 has a conicity corresponding to that of the applicator element. The tapered seat which designates the seal by cooperation with a similar scope of the applicator element has been designated by 509. This tip 514 can be made of elastic material and it is intended to be implanted in a bottle in the same way as the tip 314 for the variant of FIG. 3.

Claims (17)

1. Applicator assembly (1) for a liquid or pasty product (2) such as a cosmetic product, including a bottle (3, 303) which delimits a reservoir for the product (2) and which is equipped with a neck (4, 304) and a removable cap (5, 305) capable of closing off the neck of the bottle; the cap carrying, on the inside, a wand (7, 307) at the end of which an applicator element (6, 306) is fastened so that, in the closure position of the cap, the applicator element (6, 306) penetrates into the bottle and is impregnated with the product (2); an annular shoulder (8, 308) being carried by the cap and intended, in the closure position of the cap, to bear on a seat (9, 309, 509) integral with the bottle, the said seat (9, 309, 509) including a central orifice (50) permitting the passage of the said applicator element from one side to the other of the seat; the said bottle enclosing a case (10, 310) the inner recess (25, 325) of which is adapted to the outer form of the applicator element (6, 306); the said case (10, 310) being arranged such that, in the closure position of the cap, the applicator element (6, 306) is accommodated therein; the said case (10, 310) including in its wall at least one opening (11, 12; 311, 312); characterized in that the shoulder (8, 308) is provided on the wand (7, 307), the said seat (9, 309, 509) having a corresponding form and being linked to the said case (10, 310), the said at least one opening (11, 12; 311, 312) provided in the wall of the said case (10, 310) being a capillary opening enabling the product to impregnate the applicator element (6, 306) but preventing flowing of the product (2, 302) from the reservoir where it is located towards the outside.
2. Applicator assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that the wand (7, 307) includes an annular snap-fit element (15, 315) located between the shoulder (8, 308) and the cap (5, 305), opposite a corresponding snap-fit element (17, 317) provided in the bottle (3, 303), the snap-fitting of one of these annular elements over the other holding the cap (5, 305) on the bottle in the closed position, establishing a pressure between the shoulder (8, 308) of the wand and the sealing seat (9, 309).
3. Applicator assembly according to Claim 2, characterized in that the neck (4, 304) and the cap (5, 305) include, annularly, corresponding undulating forms (16, 316) so that a relative rotation of the cap with respect to the bottle gives rise to a progressive axial displacement of one with respect to the other which is sufficient to give rise to separation of the snap-fit elements (15, 17; 315, 317) of the wand (7, 307) and of the bottle (3, 303).
4. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cross section of the capillary opening (or openings) is larger the more viscous the product.
5. Applicator assembly according to Claim 4, characterized in that each capillary opening has a cross section of between 0.1 and 25 mm².
6. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the outer wall of the case is equipped, in the case of one at least of the capillary openings (12, 512), with a capillary groove (13, 513) which ends at the said capillary opening.
7. Applicator assembly according to Claim 6, characterized in that the groove (13, 513) is made in an axial plane of the case (10, 310).
8. Applicator assembly according to Claim 6, characterized in that the groove is made, in annular form, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the case.
9. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that, in the axial plane, the groove (13, 513) is delimited by two borders which converge towards the capillary opening in the entire thickness of the wall of the case (10, 510).
10. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the applicator element is substantially cylindrical, and in that the orifice (50) of the seat (9) has a cross section which is slightly smaller than that of the applicator element (6).
11. Applicator assembly according to Claim 2, characterized in that the snap-fit element (17, 317) made in the bottle (3, 303), to hold the cap in the closure position, is formed on a spacer (30, 330) which itself supports an end piece (14, 314, 514) one end of which forms the case (10, 310), the said end piece carrying an axial bore where the sealing seat (9, 309, 509) is provided.
12. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the sealing seat (9, 509) made in the bottle consists of an elastic material.
13. Applicator assembly according to Claim 11, characterized in that the spacer (330) is produced from elastic material.
14. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the applicator element (6, 306) is a brush or felt, a pen, foam, or possibly is flocked.
15. Applicator assembly (1) for a liquid or pasty product (2) such as a cosmetic product, including a bottle (3, 303) which delimits a reservoir for the product (2) and which is equipped with a neck (4, 304); and a removable cap (5, 305) capable of closing off the neck of the bottle; the cap carrying, on the inside, a wand (7, 307) at the end of which an applicator element (6, 306) is fastened so that, in the closure position of the cap, the applicator element (6, 306) penetrates into the bottle and is impregnated with the product (2); a shoulder (8, 308) being carried by the cap and intended, in the closure position of the cap, to bear on a seat (9, 309, 509), integral with the bottle; the said seat (9, 309, 509) including a central orifice (50) permitting the passage of the said applicator element from one side to the other of the seat; the said bottle enclosing a case (10, 310) the inner recess (25, 325) of which is adapted to the outer form of the applicator element (6, 306); the said case (10, 310) being arranged such that, in the closure position of the cap, the applicator element (6, 306) is accommodated therein, the said case (10, 310) including, in its wall, at least one opening (11, 12; 311, 312); characterized in that the product (2) packaged in the said assembly is an eyeliner or a mascara; and in that the shoulder (8, 308) is provided on the wand (7, 307), the said seat (9, 309, 509) having a corresponding form and being linked to the said case (10, 310); the said at least one opening (11, 12; 311, 312) provided in the wall of the said case (10, 310) being a capillary opening enabling the product to impregnate the applicator element (6, 306) but preventing flowing of the product (2, 302) from the reservoir where it is located towards the outside.
16. Applicator assembly according to Claim 15, characterized in that the outer wall of the case is equipped, in the case of one at least of the capillary openings (12, 512), with a capillary groove (13, 513) ending in the said capillary opening.
17. Applicator assembly according to one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the case (10, 310) on the one hand, and the wand (7, 307) and its applicator element on the other hand, are shaped in order to create a piston effect when the applicator element is put in position and removed.

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