GB2135906A

GB2135906A - Apparatus for the selective application or spraying of liquid cosmetic preparations

Info

Publication number: GB2135906A
Application number: GB08326734A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bodo Hildebrandt; Werner Hohl
Original assignee: Wella GmbH
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1983-02-05
Filing date: 1983-10-06
Publication date: 1984-09-12
Also published as: IT8336205V0; DE8303136U1; GB2135906B; GB8326734D0

Abstract

A nozzle carrier 2 connectible to a hose 3 for supplying the preparation has a bore 2A in which a smaller-diameter nozzle tube 4 is mounted by means of a resiliently deformable bearing ring 5. A resiliently deformable sealing ring 12, which blocks the flow in a rest position of the nozzle tube 4, is disposed between the outlet end of a first duct 7 in the carrier 2 and the inlet end of a second duct 9 in the nozzle tube 4 in such a way that, when the nozzle tube 4 is tilted a flow path past the sealing ring 12 is opened. The size of the opening is dependent on the angle of tilt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for the selective application or spraying of liquid cosmetic preparations The invention relates to an apparatus for the selective application or spraying of liquid cosmetic preparations, in particular hair treatment or care agents such as permanent wave or fixing liquid, hair lotion, or the like.

German Offenlegungsschrift 27 50 220 discloses such an apparatus, in which, for selective application of a foam, a container for holding a supply of the cosmetic preparation to be used is connected to a casing of the apparatus by means of a screw connection to form a structural unit which can be guided manually. Furthermore, an air supply line is provided which can be connected to the outlet side of an air pump and whose end is connected to a foam producing body, which is immersed into the preparation and introduces the air stream supplied to it by the pump into the preparation in the form of small bubbles.In this connection, the air pump and its drive motor are combined, in a manner known per se, by the casing to form a motor pump unit, and the casing, which can be guided by hand and can be fitted with the preparation container, is combined with the delivery nozzle, the air supply line, the foam producing body, and a control member for controlling the air throughflow through the air supply line, to form a foam applying device.

What is desired is an apparatus for applying or spraying cosmetic preparations which is easier for the user to manipulate.

The present invention provides apparatus in which a nozzle carrier, which can be guided by the user's hand, contains a first duct, through which the preparation flows and on one end of which a flexible hose containing the preparation under excess pressure can be fastened and the other end of which opens into a bore; a nozzle tube having a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of this bore is disposed substantially coaxiallyto the bore and is mounted in a bearing, made of resiliently deformable material, which is disposed at a distance from the opening and seals the space between the bore and the nozzle tube; between the opening and the inner end of a second duct, which is provided in the nozzle tube and through which the preparation flows, a resiliently deformable seal, which blocks the flow in a rest position of the nozzle tube, is disposed and dimensioned in such a way that, when the nozzle tube is tilted laterally against the spring force of a structural element, a hitherto blocked flow is released and the cross-section of the opening produced or the quantity of the preparation flowing through the nozzle tube is dependent on the angle of tilt of the nozzle tube.

Preferred features of the invention are set out in claims 2 to 10.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view, partly in axial section, of apparatus for selectively applying a cosmetic preparation; Figure 2 shows an apparatus according to Figure 1, but with another nozzle mouthpiece, partly in axial section; and Figure 3 shows a system incorporating the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.

The apparatus 1 illustrated in Figure 1, comprises a nozzle carrier 2, having an attachment piece 2A on which a flexible hose 3 is fastened, and a nozzle tube 4 which projects into the bore 2A of the nozzle carrier 2 and is mounted in the middle region of this bore in a ring 5 made of rubber elastic material (preferably of substantially circular cross-section). On the front end (the right-hand end in Figure 1) of the nozzle tube 4, a nozzle mouthpiece 6 is mounted, from the end 6A of which the cosmetic preparation to be applied or sprayed is discharged. The nozzle carrier 2 has an axial duct 7, through which the cosmetic preparation, supplied by the hose 3, is fed to the nozzle tube 4.

The nozzle tube 4 has a substantially axial duct 9 which communicates with the central duct 10 of the mouthpiece 6 and, therefore, with the discharge opening 10A of the duct 10, which opening is situated at the end 6A of the mouthpiece 6. The duct 9 branches, at its end nearest the duct 7, into a plurality of radial bores 9A spaced around the periphery. At its end facing the duct 7, the nozzle tube 4 has a tapered area which extends all round and on which a sealing ring 12, circular in crosssection and made of rubber elastic material, is disposed.The thickness of the sealing ring 12 is such that, in the rest position of the nozzle tube 4 which is shown in Figure 1 and in which the flow of the preparation is blocked, the ring 12 seals the space between the area surrounding the end of the duct 7 and the rigid end-wall of the tube 4 so that no preparation can pass from the duct 7 into the outer inlet openings of the radial bores 9A.

if, when the apparatus is in use, the nozzle carrier 2 is held in the user's hand and then, by finger pressure, the nozzle tube 4 mounted in the ring 5 is pivoted by touching with a finger in the direction of the arrow 14, then the inner end of the nozzle tube is pivoted in a clockwise direction (upwards in Figure 1) and thus a gap is opened in the upper region of the sealing ring 12 so that the preparation supplied by way of the hose 3 can enter the bore 9A, reach the discharge opening 1 0A by way of the ducts 9 and 10, and be supplied for the intended purpose.

The cross-section of the opening released in each case in the upper region of the ring 12, or the quantity of the preparation flowing through the nozzle tube 4, is dependent on the angle of tilt of the nozzle tube.

If the nozzle tube 4 is tilted in the opposite direction to the direction of the arrow 14 out of the rest position (i.e. blocking position) shown, then an opening corresponding to the respective angle of tilt is released in the lower region of the sealing ring 12.

Figure 2 shows the front end of an apparatus constructed according to Figure 1, but in the case where a differently formed nozzle mouthpiece 6' is mounted on the nozzle tube 4.

Figure 3 shows in a schematically much simplified representation a system intended for use in hairdressing establishments with a plurality of apparatuses of the type described in connection with Figure 1. An electric motor 22, which is driven by the battery 20 and can be switched on as desired by means of an on/off switch 21, operates a compressor 23 which pumps air into a compressed air storage container 24. If a specified air pressure, for example an excess pressure of 0.2 bar, is exceeded, a diaphragm pressure switch 25 is actuated and the motor switched off. If the air pressure in the compressed air storage container 24 falls below a specified value, then the switch 25 automatically switches the motor 22 on and the compressor 23 operates until the intended excess pressure is again reached.

The compressed air is supplied by way of check valves 27 to one storage container 29 in each case for the respective preparations to be used. No check valve is inserted in the delivery pipe to a container 29A for the fixing liquid; therefore this container serves at the same time as a store for the compressed air. In this storage container 29A, two outlet openings (upper and lower, indicated in Figure 3) are disposed in such a way that, when removing the liquid, initially only about two thirds can be removed and the remaining third can be expelled only after switching over a valve 30.

The hand sprinkler 1' shown in Figure 3 is constructed in principle like the apparatus according to Figure 1, but instead of the application nozzle being straight, it has an angle piece and a sprinkler head.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the selective application or spraying of a liquid cosmetic preparation, comprising a nozzle carrier defining a first duct through which the preparation is to flow, one end of the nozzle carrier being connectible to a hose for supplying the preparation under excess pressure, the other end having an enlarged bore in which a nozzle tube having a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the bore is disposed substantially coaxiallyto the bore and is mounted in a resiliently deformable bearing spaced from the outlet end of the first duct and sealing the peripheral gap between the bore and the nozzle tube, the nozzle tube defining a second duct through which the preparation is to flow, a resiliently deformable seal, which biocks the flow in a rest position of the nozzle tube, being disposed between the outlet end of the first duct and the inlet end of the second duct in such a way that, when the nozzle tube is tilted with respect to the axis of the bore, a hitherto blocked flow path from the first duct to the second is opened and the size of the opening produced is dependent on the angle of tilt.

2 Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the bearing comprises a ring of rubber elastic material.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the said ring is substantially circular in cross-section.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the seal comprises a resiliently deformable ring adjacent the inner end of the nozzle tube and surrounding the outlet end of the first duct.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the inner end of the nozzle tube has a peripheral tapered region or groove, on which the sealing ring bears.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which the thickness of the sealing ring is such that, in the rest position of the nozzle tube, blocking the flow of the preparation, the sealing ring seals the space between the area surrounding the outlet end of the first duct and the opposite wall of the nozzle tube, but when the nozzle tube is tilted laterally, it opens a path through this space in one region.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the second duct extends in a radial direction to the exterior of the nozzle tube near the inner end of the nozzle tube.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the second duct comprises a bore extending substantially axially from the outer end of the nozzle tube and a plurality of branching bores spaced around the periphery.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, connected by a hose to a storage container for containing the liquid preparation, the container being connected to a compressed air supply,

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which two outlet openings are provided in the storage container at different heights, and a valve is connected to the outlet openings, the arrangement being such that in one position of the valve the preparation is discharged only from the upper openings and in another position of the valve the preparation is discharged from the lower opening.

11. Apparatus for the selective application or spraying of a liquid cosmetic preparation, substantially as described with reference to, and as shown in, any of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.