GB2370220A

GB2370220A - Cosmetics brush

Info

Publication number: GB2370220A
Application number: GB0031643A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Miles Spencer Maitland Dunkley; Jae Kwang Hwang
Original assignee: Synlatex Ltd
Current assignee: SLG Brands Ltd
Priority date: 2000-12-23
Filing date: 2000-12-23
Publication date: 2002-06-26
Also published as: GB0031643D0

Abstract

A cosmetics brush comprises a plurality of bristles 10 mounted in a ferrule 12 which in turn is secured to a handle 16. All the components are formed from materials which can be treated for recycling in the same manner. A single material, such as nylon, can be used. The bristles may be welded to one another at one end thereof.

Description

"Cosmetic Brush" This invention relates to a brush for use in the application of cosmetics. A brush for use in applying cosmetics typically comprises a plurality of bristles, usually of man-made fibres or of naturally occurring materials, for example animal hairs, mounted within a metallic ferrule. The ferrule is secured to a handle. The handle is commonly of plastics or wooden form, but it will be appreciated that a wide range of other materials could be used.

When such a cosmetic brush is disposed of, for example because it has started to lose bristles or it is thought that the use of an old brush may contaminate newer cosmetics, the brush must be disassembled if it is to be recycled as the components which are made of different materials must be treated in different ways. Such disassembly is time-consuming and as a result there is a tendency for cosmetic brush components to be burnt or placed in land-fill sites rather than recycled.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cosmetic brush which lends itself to recycling.

According to the present invention there is provided a cosmetic brush comprising a plurality of bristles, a ferrule and a handle, wherein the bristles, the ferrule and the handle are all formed from materials which can be treated for recycling in the same manner.

Such a brush has the advantage that it does not require disassembly prior to recycling.

Conveniently, the components of the brush are all made of the same material. The material conveniently comprises a plastics material, for example nylon. It will be appreciated, however, that an alternative material could be used.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing (Figure 1) which is a view of a cosmetic brush in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

The brush illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a plurality of bristles 10 each of which takes the form of a filament of nylon. The bristles 10 are cut to size using a process whereby a bundle of a suitable number of nylon filaments is cut using a heated blade. The process results both in the filaments being cut and in the cut ends of the filaments being fused or welded to one another. As a result, little or no adhesive need be used to secure the bristles to one another. The bristles 10 are preferable coloured to resemble bristles formed from naturally occurring materials. The bristles are secured to a ferrule 12, for example using a suitable adhesive. The bristles 10 extend from an open end 14 of the ferrule 12. The ferrule 12 is conveniently of tapering form, being wider at the end 14 from which the bristles 10 project. The shape of the ferrule 12 and the manner in which the bristles 10 are secured thereto result in the bristles 10 being slightly splayed as shown in Figure 1.

The end of the ferrule 12 remote from the bristles 10 is secured to a handle 16. The handle 16 is of elongate tapering form, and the end of the handle 16 remote from the ferrule 12 is closed by an integral end region of domed form.

The handle 16 and the ferrule 12 are both constructed from nylon.

The manner in which the bristles 10 are secured to the ferrule 12 and the manner in which the ferrule 12 is secured to the handle 16 are not of particular importance to the invention, and so will not be described in detail. However, one technique whereby the bristles 10 may be secured to the ferrule 12 is using a suitable adhesive, as mentioned above, and one technique for securing the handle 16 to the ferrule 12 is by shaping these components so that they are a push fit.

Adhesive may also be used to secure the handle 16 to the ferrule 12.

The cosmetic brush described hereinbefore is advantageous in that, when the brush is to be disposed of, the brush can be recycled without the brush first having to be disassembled as the brush is made completely from nylon, and so all of the components thereof can be treated in the same manner during the recycling process.

As the brush does not require disassembly, recycling of the brush is a far simpler and hence less expensive operation than with conventional brushes and so is more likely to occur than with conventional brushes which are manufactured using several materials.

The brush illustrated in the accompanying drawings is intended for use in the application of a blusher. It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to the full range of brushes for use in the application of cosmetics and that the invention is not limited to the illustrated blusher brush.

Claims

1. A cosmetics brush comprising a plurality of bristles, a ferrule and a handle, wherein the bristles, the ferrule and the handle are all formed from materials which can be treated for recycling in the same manner.

2. A brush as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the bristles, the handle and the ferrule are made of the same material.

3. A brush as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the material is a plastics material.

4. A brush as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the material is nylon.

5. A brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bristles are welded to one another at one end thereof

6. A cosmetics brush substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.