EP1284616B1 - Reservoir and applicator system - Google Patents

Abstract

A reservoir and applicator system suitable for containing a composition of the cosmetic composition includes a single element ( 10 ) of compressible material in which a reservoir-forming cavity ( 12 ) is formed suitable for receiving the composition. The single element ( 10 ) presents both a first end ( 14 ) and a second end ( 18 ) forming the applicator, the application surface ( 20 ) thereof being constituted by the outside wall of the second end ( 18 ). The cavity ( 12 ) is extended by a channel ( 16 ) opening out into the second end ( 18 ) such not the composition can be transferred from the reservoir to the application surface ( 20 ) in order to be applied.

Description

The present invention relates to a tank system and applicator adapted to contain a composition of the composition type cosmetic and to allow its application to the surface of the skin.

The system is intended, in particular but not exclusively, for contain samples of cosmetic compositions in liquid form or pasty.

It is necessary, in the context of the commercial promotion of these cosmetic compositions, to provide samples in order to distribute them free of charge in the shops or have them tried on customers at the point of sale. Such samples of compositions are generally produced by hermetically sealing the composition between two laminated sheets heat-welded together. In order to achieve easily opening the container bag and allowing the application of the composition, one household, generally, a notch in the welded part so as to allow tearing of part of the tank.

When using the sample, you tear a part of the bag which is then pressed to extract said composition which is applied with the fingers or with a tampon on the skin.

Generally, the daily application of a composition cosmetic, on the face for example, is performed in a place where it is easy to wash your fingers after applying the composition. Gold, when using a sample at the point of sale of the products cosmetics, this facility is not available so that one is brought to wipe your fingers with a tissue, for example. Of addition, the application of the product with a buffer assumes that one has both samples and buffers.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a reservoir and applicator system integral with said reservoir to prevent to have to apply the composition with your fingers or to use a auxiliary applicator.

To achieve this goal, in accordance with the invention, the system of reservoir and applicator adapted to contain a composition of the type cosmetic composition, is characterized in that it comprises an element single compressible material in which is formed a cavity forming a reservoir adapted to receive said composition, said single element having a first end and a second end forming applicator whose application surface is constituted by the wall external of said second end and in that said cavity is extended by a channel opening into said second end, by what said composition is capable of being transferred from said reservoir to said surface of application to be applied.

Thus, the reservoir and the applicator forming a single single element, it is no longer necessary to have an auxiliary applicator or to apply said composition to the skin with the fingers. As we will explain it in more detail in the following description, said element compressible material has an external surface whose properties are compatible with the surface of the skin and the coating of a cosmetic composition. In particular, we understand that the rubbing the applicator against the skin should provide a feeling of softness or at least not provide any unpleasant feeling.

An essential characteristic of the invention is therefore to use a material with all the necessary sealing properties storage of said composition and surface properties necessary for the application on the skin of said composition. Otherwise, when the tank is closed and is full, the opening of said channel opening into said second end must be releasable easily.

For this purpose, according to a first preferred mode of implementation of the invention said second end further comprises a piece of peelable protection on said application surface able to protect it and closing said channel.

Thus, the channel opening directly into the surface application is closed off by said protection piece which protects also the surface of application of the dust. We understand that during from use, the protective piece is peeled off the second end and that the composition of the tank is extracted and brought to the surface applying by pressure on said single element.

According to a second preferred mode of implementation of the invention, said second end forming said applicator is sectionable to release said channel and said application surface. according to this embodiment, the application surface appears during the severing of the second end of said single element, which sectioning also releases the channel that extends at least until sectioning plan.

Advantageously, said cavity is extended to to debouch in said first end so that said composition is capable of being introduced into said reservoir by said first end, and in that said first end further comprises a plug member adapted to seal said tank. Thus, said single element has a corresponding first open end to the extension of the tank, able to be closed by a plug after the filling of the tank. As will be explained later in the description, the plug member is generally sealed so irreversible on the first end of the single element because the whole is usually discarded after the first use.

Preferably, said single element made of material compressible is of cylindrical shape and made of foam of polyurethane. Indeed, this material has surface properties able to allow its application on the skin and properties intrinsic compressibility and impermeability corresponding to the intended application.

Moreover, advantageously, said second end is defined by a plane not orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of that element unique in order to increase the application surface of said applicator.

• on fournit un élément unique en matériau compressible présentant une première extrémité et une seconde extrémité ;
• on fore ledit élément unique longitudinalement de façon à ménager une cavité formant réservoir ; et,
• on fore ledit élément unique longitudinalement de manière à former un canal prolongeant ladite cavité et débouchant dans ladite seconde extrémité, par quoi ladite composition est apte à être introduite et/ou extraite par ledit canal.

A second object of the present invention is to propose a method for producing a reservoir and applicator system capable of containing a composition of the cosmetic composition type, comprising the following steps:

• providing a single element of compressible material having a first end and a second end;
• said single member is drilled longitudinally so as to provide a reservoir cavity; and,
• said single element is drilled longitudinally so as to form a channel extending said cavity and opening into said second end, whereby said composition is adapted to be introduced and / or extracted by said channel.

Thus, a feature of the method lies in the realization of tank and applicator from a single element in which one household cavities forming reservoir and channel. The unique element is drilled axially so as to provide a reservoir cavity and to form a smaller diameter channel that extends the reservoir and opens in the second end.

• on comprime ledit élément unique perpendiculairement à son axe longitudinal dans au moins une partie de son volume ;
• on fore longitudinalement ledit élément unique au moyen d'un outil de perçage à diamètre constant, au moins dans ladite partie de son volume comprimé, par quoi on obtient, après avoir cessé de comprimer ledit élément, une cavité dont le diamètre est supérieur audit canal qui la prolonge et qui débouche dans ladite seconde extrémité.

According to a preferred embodiment, in accordance with the second object of the present invention, the method for producing the reservoir and applicator system is characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

• said single element is compressed perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis in at least part of its volume;
• said single element is longitudinally drilled by means of a constant diameter drilling tool, at least in said part of its compressed volume, whereby, after having ceased to compress said element, a cavity whose diameter is greater than said channel is obtained; which extends and opens into said second end.

When said single element is compressed, the density of material compressed volume is greater than the density of other volumes not tablets, and when the compressed volume is drilled the amount of material extracted is therefore greater than the quantity of material extracted from the others volumes. Thus, when said element returns to its original shape, the pre-compressed cavity is wider than the cavity in uncompressed volumes. This provision allows, by means of of a constant diameter drill, to drill both the reservoir and the channel prolong it.

According to another preferred embodiment, the method of realization of the tank and applicator system is characterized by that one longitudinally drills said single element from said first end by means of a piercing tool having a first part of diameter less than a second part, so as to simultaneously forming said channel opening into said second end and said reservoir opening into said first end.

According to this characteristic, the drilling of the reservoir is carried out in only once with a drill having two parts of different diameters so as to drill both the reservoir and the channel that extends it. As it will be explained in more detail later in the description, this characteristic of the process has an advantage in the case where the reservoir is filled from the first end of said single element.

• la Figure 1 est une vue en coupe longitudinale montrant le système de réservoir et d'applicateur selon un premier mode de réalisation,
• la Figure 2 est une vue partielle en coupe longitudinal montrant une étape de réalisation du système conforme au premier mode de réalisation,
• la Figure 3 est une vue en coupe longitudinale montrant le système de réservoir et d'applicateur obtenu après transformation de l'élément unique selon l'étape représentée sur la Figure 2,
• la Figure 4 est une vue en coupe longitudinale montrant le système de réservoir et d'applicateur selon un deuxième mode de réalisation,
• la Figure 5 est une vue en coupe longitudinale montrant une étape de réalisation du système tel que représenté sur la Figure 4, et,
• la Figure 6 est une vue en coupe longitudinale représentant le système de réservoir et d'applicateur conforme à l'invention selon un troisième mode de réalisation.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the tank and applicator system according to a first embodiment,
• FIG. 2 is a partial view in longitudinal section showing a step of producing the system according to the first embodiment,
• Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the reservoir and applicator system obtained after transformation of the single element according to the step shown in Figure 2,
• FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the reservoir and applicator system according to a second embodiment,
• Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step of producing the system as shown in Figure 4, and,
• Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the reservoir system and applicator according to the invention according to a third embodiment.

Reference is first made to Figure 1 to describe the essential components of the tank and applicator system according to the invention.

In Figure 1, the tank and applicator system, vertically represented, consists of a single element made of compressible 10, of generally cylindrical shape. The material compressible is a polyurethane foam or a foam of polyethylene. These closed cell foams are chosen for their flexibility, their compressibility and also for their extreme softness touch. This last characteristic is important in view of the fact that said single element is intended to be applied to the face and that it must, preferentially, provide a pleasant sensation.

Closed cell foams have the advantage of being waterproof. Thus, they are able to contain liquid or pasty compositions.

In Figure 1, the single element 10 has a cavity 12 forming a reservoir whose base is located near the first end 14 of the single element 10 and containing a composition of the type cosmetic composition. The cavity 12 is extended by a channel 16 opening into the second end 18 of the single element 10 which constitutes the applicator.

The second end 18 forming the applicator has a application surface 20 in which the channel 16 opens and on which a protective piece 22 is glued. The protection piece 22 consists of a peel-off self-adhesive label with a double function to protect the application surface 20 and to obstruct the channel 16.

When using the tank and applicator system, the protective piece 22 is detached from the application surface 20 and a pressure is exerted on the single element so as to chase the composition of the tank. At least part of this composition is transferred via channel 16 to the application surface 20 and, now the second end 18 forming an applicator so as to carry the application surface 20 against the skin, the composition is able to be spread by actuating the second end 18 in a plane parallel to the mid-plane of the skin surface.

Reference will now be made to Figure 2 to describe the process of the reservoir and applicator system in accordance with the description made above.

In Figure 2, the single element of compressible material 10 is enclosed in a jaw device 24 which compresses it perpendicular to its longitudinal axis in a lower part 26, near the first end 14. Then, the single element 10 is drilled longitudinally along its main axis, since its second end, by means of a piercing tool 28. The single element 10 is thus drilled along its entire length, including the lower 26 but at the exception of the first end 14. Of course, the drilling is performed in the central part of the single element 10 and at a distance sufficient surface area to form a strong wall and impervious to the composition that will be introduced inside the cavity.

The piercing tool 28 may comprise helical threads to sharp lips and be rotated to drill the element 10, but it can also consist of a heating element, which causes piercing by burning the foam.

Once piercing is done, the single element 10 is released from the jaw device 24 and has the form as shown Figure 3. The cavity 12 corresponds to the lower part 26 which has been compressed and from which larger amounts of material have been removed due to compression. Thus, the cavity 12 is wider than the upper cavity 16 corresponding to an uncompressed part and forming the channel.

According to this method, the reservoir and the channel are made in one single operation by a constant diameter drilling tool, which represents a simplification of the process.

Then, the cosmetic composition is introduced through the channel 16 which opens into the application surface 20 by means of a pipette or a small diameter pipe under pressure so as to fill the tank 12. The tank and applicator system is closed by sticking a label on the application wall 20.

Reference is now made to Figure 4 to describe the elements constituting a reservoir and applicator system according to another embodiment.

In this Figure 4 we find the single element 10 in which is the cavity 12 forming a reservoir extended by the channel 16. on the other hand, the cavity 12 is prolonged to end in the first end 14 of the single element 10. The cavity 12 thus opened is closed by means of a plug member 30, fixed on the surface external of the first end 14.

The cap member 30 also constitutes a means to place the system vertically on a surface. Moreover, he is a good support to paste any label intended to inform the user on the nature of the composition.

Of course, the plug element could also be inserted in the extension of the cavity 12 to obstruct it, but it does not would not fulfill then the functions previously enumerated.

In addition, the second end 18 of the single element 10 is defined by a plane not orthogonal to the axis of said single element 10. This configuration allows to obtain a second end 18 forming applicator whose application surface 20 is greater than in the case of an orthogonal surface. The increase of the surface application allows in some cases a better application of the composition on the skin without using another applicator.

As with the first embodiment, channel 16 is obstructed by a protective piece 22, covering the surface 20, which, of course, does not have the same shape.

It goes without saying that one would not go beyond the scope of the invention if the general shape of the single element was not cylindrical but, by square example, which would induce a different shape of the surface application.

Reference is made to Figure 5 to describe the process of realization of the tank and applicator system according to the description made above.

According to this embodiment, the single element 10 is drilled longitudinally along its length by means of a piercing tool 32 having two parts of different diameters. At its end the tool 34 is relatively thinner and allows to spare channel 16 which opens into the second end 18 of the single element 10. Simultaneously, the reservoir 12 is formed by the body 36 of the tool which passes through also the first end 14 of the single element 10.

In this embodiment, the tool can also be a drill bit or a heating part.

Prior to filling the tank, since the first end 14, the second end 18 into which the channel 16 opens is covered with the removable protective piece to block the canal 16. Then, the tank is filled and then closed by the element forming plug.

The method of making the reservoir and applicator system previously described, is capable of being implemented to achieve a tank and applicator system, according to the invention, according to a another particular embodiment as shown in FIG.

Figure 6 shows the single element in material compressible 10 in which is dug the tank 12, the latter is extending into the first end 14 and being closed by the element The reservoir 12 is also extended by a channel 16 opening into the second end 18. The end of the channel 16 is one-eyed and does not open out of the single element 10. In however, the second end 18 has a cut-off 38 whose sectioning plane intersects said channel 16. Thus, after the second end 18 was cut, the channel 16 opens into a application surface corresponding to the sectioning plane. The composition is extracted and applied in the same way as in previous embodiments.

It is understood that the intrinsic properties of the foam should be homogeneous throughout the mass of the single element because the sectioning surface must have the same surface properties as those of the initial surface of the single element.

The tank and applicator system according to this mode of particular embodiment can be achieved according to the method previously described.

To do this, by means of the drilling tool presenting a first part of diameter less than a second part, we drill longitudinally the single element from the first end without passing through said element from side to side and so as to drill a channel in the second end whose end is blind. Then, a primer cut is made in the second end to allow its sectioning.

Claims (9)

1. A reservoir and applicator system suitable for containing a composition of the cosmetic composition type, the system being characterised in that it comprises a single element (10) of compressible material in which a reservoir-forming cavity (12) is formed suitable for receiving said composition, said single element (10) presenting both a first end (14) and a second end (18) forming said applicator and having an application surface (20) constituted by the outside wall of said second end (18), and in that said cavity (12) is extended by a channel (16) opening out into said second end (18), whereby said composition can be transferred from said reservoir to said application surface (20) in order to be applied.
2. A reservoir and applicator system according to claim 1, characterised in that said second end (18) further comprises a peel-off protection piece (22) on said application surface (20) suitable for protecting it and closing said channel (16).
3. A reservoir and applicator system according to claim 1, characterised in that said second end (18) forming said applicator is suitable for being cut so as to release said channel (16) and said application surface (20).
4. A reservoir and applicator system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said channel (12) is extended so as to open out in said first end (14) such that said composition can be inserted into said reservoir through said first end (14), and in that said first end further comprises a plug-forming element (30) suitable for closing said reservoir.
5. A reservoir and applicator system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said single element (10) of compressible material is cylindrical in shape and is constituted by polyurethane foam.
6. A reservoir and applicator system according to claim 5, characterised in that said second end (18) is defined by a plane that is not orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said single element (10) so as to increase the area of the application surface (20) of said applicator.
7. A method of making a reservoir and applicator system suitable for containing a composition of the cosmetic composition type, the method being characterised in that it comprises the following steps:

   providing a single element (10) of compressible material having a first end (14) and a second end (18);

   drilling said single element (10) longitudinally so as to form a reservoir-forming cavity (12); and

   drilling said single element (10) longitudinally so as to form a channel (16) extending said cavity (12) and opening out into said second end (18), whereby said composition can be inserted and/or extracted via said channel (16).
8. A method of making a reservoir and applicator system according to claim 7, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:

   compressing said single element (10) perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis in at least a portion (26) of its volume; and

   using a drilling tool (28) of constant diameter to drill said single element (10) longitudinally at least in said portion (26) of its compressed volume so as to obtain, after ceasing to compress said single element (10), a cavity (12) of diameter greater that the diameter of said channel (16) which extends the cavity and which opens out into said second end (18).
9. A method of making a reservoir and applicator system according to claim 7, characterised in that a drilling tool (32) presenting a first portion (34) of smaller diameter than the diameter of a second portion (36) is used to drill said single element (10) longitudinally from said first end (14) so as to form simultaneously said channel (16) opening out into said second end (18) and said reservoir opening out into said first end (14).

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