EP1847197B1 - Wiper with cosmetic applicator - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a combination of a scraper for the opening region of a container having in its projecting into the inside of the container cone section an end-side passage opening and a specially designed applicator for liquid or pasty media (substrates), in particular for decorative cosmetics such as mascara.

An applicator is an aid used to apply a cosmetic or pharmaceutical preparation to the skin and / or hair. A wiper is a means of adjusting the amount of cosmetic or pharmaceutical preparation on an applicator.

An applicator for mascara should ensure that the mascara is easy to apply evenly. For this purpose, the applicator must meet the condition that the eyelashes are combed when applying the mascara and thus aligned in the desired manner. In addition, the applicator should be able to absorb so much mascara that all eyelashes can be dyed with the applicator, without having to immerse it several times in the mascara reservoir. In order for the application of the mascara evenly and bum-free, it must be ensured that not excessively mascara adheres to the applicator, which is why this usually stripped when pulling out of the mascara reservoir.

So far it was common ( US 4,982,838 ) to make a mascara applicator of a plurality of wires, between which a plurality of bristles are arranged. After twisting the wires, the bristles are held firmly between the wires.

Out DE 101 02 219 is a modern applicator for liquid or pasty media, in particular for decorative cosmetics such as mascara, known, which has a rod-shaped, stiffening core of a first plastic material and in the region of its front end a brush head, consisting of a support sleeve made of an elastic second plastic -Material, wherein the support sleeve has a plurality of radially outwardly projecting fingers, which are integrally formed on the support sleeve and also made of the second plastic material comprises.

• der Schaft wird nur unzureichend gereinigt, da die lichte Weite des abstreifenden Elementes auf den Durchmesser des Bürstenkopfes abgestellt ist,
• beim Herausziehen der Bürste gibt es ein Hängen an der Stelle an dem die Bürste und der Schaft zusammentreffen, damit ist die gleitende Entnahme von einem störendem Kraftaufwand begleitet, was zu unkontrollierten Bewegungen und zum bekleckern und verspritzen der Zubereitung führen kann,
• eine zu enge Dimensionierung führt zu vakuumdichten Verschluss und damit zu einem vulgären Geräusch bei der Entnahme (typisches Plopp-Geräusch) und
• bei zu geringem Querschnitt ist eine Beschädigung der Applikatorborsten nicht ausgeschlossen.

Commonly used are single-stage scrapers, that is scrapers, which contain only one stripping element, which is designed as a central opening and which are inserted into the opening of the product container. By interlocking elevations and recesses, the scraper is held firmly in the neck of the bottle. The application of these wipers works without any problems, with applicators based on wire brushes. In modern applicators with the structure described above, the one-step stripping has various disadvantages:

• the shaft is insufficiently cleaned, since the clear width of the wiping element is placed on the diameter of the brush head,
• When pulling out the brush, there is a hanging at the point where the brush and the shaft meet, so is the sliding removal accompanied by a disturbing force, which can lead to uncontrolled movements and smearing and splashing of the preparation,
• too narrow a dimensioning leads to a vacuum-tight closure and thus to a vulgar noise during the removal (typical pop-sound) and
• if the cross-section is too small damage to the applicator bristles is not excluded.

All of these problems are due to the special design of the modern brush head, which, unlike the wired brush head, has less compressibility, i. has a larger diameter with applied bristles.

Inadequate cleaning of the shaft when pulling out causes substrate to accumulate on the inside of the scraper, which can swell out when screwed, thus causing contamination of the container. Inside is the side facing the outside environment. The outside, however, faces the interior of the product container. The separation of inside and outside takes place in the region of the smallest diameter of the stripping element.

In DE 102 05 514 describes a two-stage scraper, which has some advantages over a single-stage scraper, but exerts very high shear forces on the finger-occupied carrier sleeve, so the finger can be sheared off. The preparation of the two-stage scraper is very complicated and therefore expensive due to the strong undercut of the inner stripping element

The DE 25 00 712 discloses a scraper device having passages for the return flow of a tampon, ie a Applicator of absorbent material, stripped pigment color has. Such a specially designed for a tamping stripping unfolds otherwise only an inadequate effect.

The invention has for its object to find a scraper, which has both an improved stripping effect and ensures a good and non-destructive removal of the brush.

Surprisingly, it has been found that this object is achieved with the combination of scraper and applicator described below with a specially adapted stiffening core. The part of the stiffening core lying outside the brush head is referred to below as Stem. The diameter is to be chosen so that the stem has a certain excess over the clear width of the scraper inside, so that a piston-cylinder pair is formed. Preferably, the diameter of 0.005 to 0.3 mm is greater than the inside diameter of the scraper inside selected.

A corresponding scraper-applicator combination can be used in various fields of application. The following is an example of the application of mascara, the so-called mascara, to be assumed, however, the scraper according to the invention is also used in a similar manner for applicators, with which hair dyes, pharmaceuticals or the like. can be applied.

Applicators according to the invention have a stiffening core made of a first plastic material, which is surrounded at least in the region of its front end by a carrier sleeve of a second plastic material which has a plurality of radially outwardly projecting fingers which are integral are formed on the support sleeve and made of the second plastic material, wherein a plurality of fingers distributed over the circumference of the support sleeve form a finger ring and wherein in the longitudinal direction of the support sleeve a plurality of finger wreaths are arranged one behind the other (brush head). At the rear end of the stiffening core opens into a handle (handle), which usually serves as a cap. This end-side handle can usually be screwed onto the substrate container in such a way that the brush head dips into the substrate.

The stem of the applicator according to the invention has a diameter in the predominant region which corresponds approximately to the inner diameter of the stripper matched to the brush head. According to the invention, the stem should have an excess of 0.005 to 0.3 mm with respect to the inside diameter of the unloaded scraper.

In the area of the booklet, the stem is enlarged in the circumference in such a way that a stripping of the substrate located on the stripper inner side takes place during screwing.

The length of the enlarged in the scope Stems depends on the length of the scraper used and should extend at least to the upper edge or maximum to the lower opening of the scraper.

It is also according to the invention that the piston-like thickened stem region is enlarged only in such a way that forms a so-called sealing ring with an excess of 0.1 mm to 2 mm. The sealing ring is according to the invention between the upper edge of the scraper and the edges of the vent holes. Most preferably, the sealing ring have the shape of a circle segment, a rectangle, a triangle or a trapezoid.

A narrow sealing ring reduces friction on the stem, making it easier to remove.

It is particularly advantageous if the contour of the piston-like thickened Stembereiches the contour of the scraper inside is adjusted, so that only a small dead volume between the scraper and Stem is formed at fully inserted applicator.

• die einen Druckausgleich zwischen Behälterinnenraum und der äußeren Atmosphäre bewirken und
• die eine Rückführung des an der Abstreiferinnenseite befindlichen Substrates in den Behälterinnenraum ermöglichen.

The scraper according to the invention, in contrast to the known from the prior art scrapers in the front area openings,

• which cause a pressure equalization between the container interior and the external atmosphere and
• which allow a return of the substrate located on the scraper inside the container interior.

The pressure equalization takes place both when pulling out the applicator (removal process) and when pushing the applicator (immersion process) into the container.

The typical pop-up noise that occurs with conventional scrapers, which is considered by many consumers to be ugly and vulgar, no longer occurs due to the possibility of continuous pressure equalization.

By the return transport, pushing back the substrate through the piston-like thickened Stemteil by the side scraper openings in the container interior, the Scraper inside regularly when screwing the container of Mascararesten freed.

According to the invention, the openings can have all conceivable geometric figures in their cross section and the openings can be arranged so that a circumferential grid or network is formed.

Scrapers according to the invention are made of a sufficiently flexible material which withstands the requirements of the duration of bending resilience, in particular of polypropylene or elastomers.

Scrapers according to the invention can have constrictions and / or expansions on the outer surface, which enable a stable anchoring in the product container.

According to the invention can be determined by the choice of the clearance of the stripping element of the contact pressure to the applicator and thus the Abstreifleistung.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are explained in more detail below, with reference to an embodiment shown in schematic drawing figures. However, the invention should not be limited to the embodiment, which serves only to visually support the description.

• Fig. 1 : einen Applikator,
• Fig. 2 : einen Abstreifer,
• Fig.3 einen in einen Behälterhals eingesetzten Abstreifer mit eingeführtem Applikator,
• Fig. 4 bis 7 die schematische Darstellung der Wirkungsweise von Abstreifer mit Applikator

Show it:

• Fig. 1 an applicator,
• Fig. 2 a scraper,
• Figure 3 a scraper inserted into a container neck with inserted applicator,
• Fig. 4 to 7 the schematic representation of the mode of action of scraper with applicator

Reference numeral Index:

• 1: applicator
• 2: Stem (stiffening core)
• 3: brush head
• 4: cantilevered fingers (bristles)
• 5: Handle (handle) with screw cap
• 6: substrate
• 7: sealing ring
• 10: scraper
• 11: Wiper inside
• 12: scraper outside
• 13: openings in the scraper
• 14: stripping element
• 20: container
• 21: container neck
• 22: recess for latching
• 23: container interior

FIG. 1 shows an example of an applicator (1) according to the invention with a stem (2) with brush head (3), which has projecting fingers (4). At the rear end of the stem opens into a booklet (5), which is designed as a cap.
The stem has in the region C a diameter d ₁ , which is approximately the clear width d _{2 of} the stripping element (14) in FIG. 2 equivalent.
In the area B of the booklet (5), the circumference of the stem is increased in such a way that a wiping of the stripper on the inside (11) substrate when screwing or complete insertion of the applicator takes place (see also Fig. 4 to 7 ).

The length l ₁ of the enlarged in the scope Stem depends on the length l _{2 of} the scraper used ( Fig. 2 ).
In order to obtain a particularly high wiper performance with a low friction surface, the piston-like thickened stem section (B) is provided with a sealing ring (7) at its lower side facing the wiping element of the wiper.

Usual thicknesses d _{1 of} the stem are in the range of 2.5 to 10 mm. However, dimensioning is heavily dependent on the flexibility of the materials used.

FIG. 2 shows a scraper with a scraping element (14) which forms the central opening with a clearance d ₂ and the scraper inner side (11) of the scraper outer side (12) separates. In order to obtain a better hold in the container neck (21), the scraper on the scraper outside elevations, which can engage in corresponding recesses (22) in the container neck ( Fig. 3 ).
In the lower region facing the wiping element, the wiper has openings (13), which establish a connection between the inner and outer wiper surfaces. In FIG. 2 For example, the cross-section of the openings is formed as two rows of equilateral triangles, but this is not intended to be limiting.

Usual inner diameters d ₂ are in the range of 2.5 to 10 mm, in particular between 3.5 and 7 mm.

Usual diameters of the lateral wiper openings d ₃ (Figure 2) are between 0.2 to 10 mm, in particular between 0.2 and 2.0 mm.

The usual excess mass of the piston-seal-like thickened stem region in relation to the inner diameter d ₁ is 0.1 to 2 mm.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a mascara product, comprising a container body (20) whose opening forms a container neck (21). In the container neck of the scraper (10) is fixed by toothing in the area D. The closure is a combination of an applicator (1) with a brush head (3) and a screw cap (5), which are connected via the stem (2).

The operation of the scraper-Stem combination is explained below, in conjunction with Figures 4 to 7. The direction of movement of the stem with respect to the wiper is indicated by an arrow.

Upon removal - the withdrawal - of the applicator (1) is roughly cleaned by the front stripping element (14) of the shaft ( Figure 4 ), but remains of the substrate (6) adhere to the stem (2).

When the applicator is pushed into the storage container, the scraping element strips off the substrate attached to the stem, which accumulates on the inside of the stripper ( Fig. 5 ).

Is the applicator inserted so far that the piston-like thickened stem end is inserted into the applicator ( Fig. 6 ), the scraper inside is stripped off.

In the last step, the stripped substrate is pressed through the openings (13) into the container interior (20) ( Fig. 7 ).

Claims (12)

1. Combination of a wiper for applicators for liquid or pasty media, in particular for decorative cosmetics such as mascara, and an applicator (1), wherein the applicator comprises a wiping element (14), which forms a central opening with a clear width d₂ and separates the inner face (11) of the wiper from the outer face (12) of the wiper, and in the forward area, the area facing the wiping element, at least one lateral wiper opening (13), the at least one lateral wiper opening (13) establishing a connection between the inner and the outer wiper surface, and wherein the applicator (1) comprises a stem (2) with a brush head (3), the stem (2) transitioning at its rear end into a handle (5), characterised in that the circumference of the stem (2) is enlarged in the area B, bulb-like thickened stem portion, of the handle (5), so that the diameter of the stem (2) in the area B is greater by 0.005 mm to 0.3 mm than the clear width of the inner face of the wiper.
2. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to claim 1, characterised in that several lateral wiper openings (13) form a peripheral grid or net.
3. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wiper consists of an elastomer, in particular of polypropylene.
4. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wiper, on its outer face (12), has expanded or constricted portions that can be brought into engagement with the container neck.
5. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wiper has the following dimensions: clear width d₂ = 2.5 to 10 mm, in particular 3.5 to 7 mm, and diameter of the lateral wiper openings d₃ = 0.2 to 10 mm, in particular 0.2 to 2 mm.
6. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the diameter d₁ of the stem (2) in the area C, which is located between the area B and the brush head, is between 2.5 mm and 10 mm.
7. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the diameter d₁ of the stem (2) in the area C, which is located between the area B and the brush head, is greater by 0.005 mm and 0.3 mm than the clear width d₂ of the central opening of the wiper.
8. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bulb-like thickened stem (2) comprises, in the area B, a sealing ring (7) with an oversize of 0.1 to 2.0 mm.
9. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to claim 8, characterised in that the profile of the sealing ring has the shape of a circle segment, of a rectangle, a triangle or of a trapezoid.
10. Combination of a wiper and an applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bulb-like thickened stem (2) is adapted, in the area B, to the contour of the inner face (11) of the wiper.
11. Containers for cosmetic or dermatological preparations, characterised in that they comprise an applicator and, in the area of the opening of the container, a wiper according to at least one of the claims 1 to 10.
12. Use of a combination of a wiper and an applicator according to one or more of the claims 1 to 10, comprising a wiping element (14) and at least one lateral opening (13) for cleaning applicators for cosmetic or dermatological products and/or for regulating the removed amount from containers for cosmetic and dermatological products.

Images