JP2001523501A - Fluid applicator - Google Patents

Abstract

An applicator system, for use in delivering a flowable composition, wherein a container (10) in which the flowable composition is to be contained; and at least three applicators (114, 106, 72) of different type, each of the applicators having at least one outlet (148, 108, 88) through which the flowable composition is to be applied, with at least a first of the applicators (72) being securable to the container, and with at least a second of the applicators (114, 106) being securable to the first of the applicators; wherein only at least one outlet of a selected one of the at least three applicators is exposed at any one time while applying the flowable composition therethrough.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an applicator, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a time-efficient, controlled, and non-fouling application of hair and / or scalp to the hair and / or scalp. It relates to an applicator used to apply both or one of the preparations.

In the hair dyeing process, it would be desirable to be able to precisely control the flow of the hair dyeing solution and to accurately target the area to be colored by the hair dyeing solution. It would also be desirable to be able to minimize fouling during application and operation and to achieve a uniform color distribution throughout the area to be colored by the hair dye solution.

[0003] These objectives must be achievable even when a person trying to apply the hair dyeing solution wants to operate the applicator himself.

[0004] Various aspects of the present invention that address these and similar objectives in the context of using other flowable formulations will now be described, in which several or all of the various aspects of the present invention are suitable. This will be described using a simple applicator.

[A. From U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,027, hair is fixed to a squeeze bottle containing a hair treatment liquid and the hair is passed through the discharge orifice of various applicators provided simultaneously by the hair treatment device. It is known to allow a user to pump out a processing liquid.

[0006] One of the applicators has an elongated tip used mainly as a parting means, and the other applicator is either a brush or a comb used mainly as a spreading means, A valve is provided to allow liquid to be sent to the parting and / or diffusion means.

[0007] A practical disadvantage of this conventional hair treatment device is that it is difficult to handle it in a controlled manner so that it is not soiled.

As a result, when using one of the diffusing means, the hair which is not to be treated or which has been treated, makes undesirable contact with the hair treatment liquid in or around the discharge orifice of the parting means. May be locally damaged or discolored, and furthermore, the hair treatment liquid may drool or splash from the parting means onto the user's skin, clothing or surroundings.

However, according to a first aspect of the present invention, an applicator system used to deliver a flowable formulation comprises: a container for containing the flowable formulation; and at least three different types of fluid formulation. An applicator, each of the applicators having at least one outlet through which the flowable formulation passes during application,
At least a first of the applicators is securable to the container, at least a second of the applicators is securable to the first of the applicator, and whenever applying the flowable formulation, Only at least one outlet of one applicator selected from at least three applicators at a time is characterized.

[0010] Exposing only at least one outlet of the selected applicator during use may result in the operation of the selected applicator causing the risk of fouling due to the flowable formulation remaining on or within other applicators. Means no gender.

[B. Many hair treatment devices have an applicator in the form of an elongated dispensing spout that gradually narrows along its length to a free end provided with a discharge orifice.

As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-22951, such a hair treatment device includes an internal passage for feeding a hair preparation from a discharge orifice of a spout portion to a plurality of small holes of teeth of a comb portion. It may also have a comb-shaped applicator provided.

[0013] To use, the comb is pushed over the spout and press-fitted, causing the comb to extend beyond the free end of the spout, and along friction along a portion of the length of the spout. Hold.

In fact, if the movement of the comb is hindered by the tangling or entanglement of the hair, the bending moment and the torque at the joint between the comb and the spout will cause the comb to be pulled away from the spout and at the same time Will rotate around the mouth.

A similar structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-118375, in which two liquids can be mixed and then delivered through a comb that can be removably secured to the nozzle by suitable means. A method is disclosed. The two parts can form a hair dye. However, there is a possibility that the comb portion cannot be attached to the nozzle due to the hair dye spilling out of the nozzle. This is because the hair dye functions as a lubricant and adversely affects snap and / or screw fitting of the comb to the nozzle.

However, according to a second aspect of the present invention, an applicator system used to deliver a flowable preparation comprises: a container for containing the flowable preparation; and a first having a first outlet means. Applicator means, the first applicator means being attachable to the container such that the flowable formulation in the container can be pumped out of the first outlet means, and further comprising a second outlet means. Second applicator means having a first applicator means for allowing the flowable formulation to pass through the first outlet means before being discharged from the second outlet means. And the second applicator means can be attached to a container.

Obtaining a stronger structure by attaching the second applicator means to the container during use rather than to the first applicator means, so that the second applicator means is less likely to rotate or separate. Can be.

[C and D. To be suitable for different hair treatment situations, the hair treatment device generally comprises different types of applicators.

For example, a delivery spout that can apply the hair preparation linearly, a delivery water-permeable member such as a cloth that spreads the hair preparation over the entire hair, and the hair preparation over the entire length of the hair It would be advantageous to have a delivery comb or brush that could be completely distributed.

Indeed, US Pat. No. 4,211,247 discloses such a delivery applicator and is used only to spread the hair preparation after the hair preparation has been applied with the delivery applicator. Non-dispensing sponges are also disclosed.

However, according to a third aspect of the present invention, an applicator system used to deliver a flowable formulation comprises: a container for containing the flowable formulation; Line applicator for delivering a flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets onto a surface, and a brush / comb application for delivering a flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets and dispersed by a plurality of elongated parting members At least three applicators of different types, including a fluid applicator, wherein the surface applicator is made of a foamed or sponge material having an elastically compressible porous structure for delivering a flowable formulation. And

The fact that the surface applicator is in the form of an elastically compressible foam or sponge means that the foam or sponge can absorb and redistribute the flowable formulation during use, The application of the flowable formulation can be much more uniform than in the past when only spreading with a cloth.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an applicator system used to deliver a flowable formulation comprises: a container for containing the flowable formulation; Line applicator for delivering a flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets onto a surface, and a brush / comb application for delivering a flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets and dispersed by a plurality of elongated parting members And at least two of the plurality of outlets of the brush / comb applicator are formed in corresponding ones of the elongated parting members. Features.

The fact that at least two of the elongated parting members have their own outlet means that the flowable preparation can be better dispersed during use, which means that the flowable preparation can be dyed Especially important when it is an agent.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of an applicator system embodying all of the above four different aspects of the invention: (a) one of the applicators comprises a single elongated passage for delivering a flowable formulation; (B) another one of the applicators is made of a foamed or sponge material having an elastically compressible porous structure for delivering a flowable formulation, and (c) further comprising an applicator. Another has a plurality of elongate parting members projecting from a support that sends the flowable formulation through the housing.

Preferably, the foam or sponge material is in the form of a pad located at or near one end of the carrier. For ease of assembly, the carrier can be a push-fit removable to the spout. The pad can extend along only a portion of the outer periphery of the carrier, particularly to facilitate application when targeting a particular area.

Preferably, each of the elongated parting members is in the form of a substantially rigid tooth. The teeth can be arranged in at least one row for ease of manufacture, especially when molded from plastic material. When viewed from the end of at least one row, the teeth are:
It may have a generally triangular profile with different lateral dimensions, but this need not be the case. The flowable formulation may be released from the teeth to facilitate subsequent dispersion, for example, at least one of the outlets may be provided at the free end of each tooth.

Preferably, the elongated parting member and the support are removably separable from the housing. Thus, a plurality of supports can be provided, and the user can select one of the plurality of supports. This is because the elongate parting members of different supports are of different types. For example, instead of a comb support having considerably rigid teeth, a brush support having flexible filaments can be used.

Preferably, the elongated parting member and the support are formed as a unit which can be fixed to the housing by fixing means including a catch. The catch is
The catch is resiliently deflectable and engageable with an opening formed in the housing, and the catch is releasable at a location remote from the elongated parting member. Additional catches can be provided that function as pivots. The resiliently deflectable catch must be releasable by finger pressure, but simply by rolling the housing on a hard surface to release the resiliently deflectable catch, the elongated parting member and support It would also be possible to remove the body from the housing.

For ease of assembly and strength, the housing is detachably screwable to the container and snaps into each other when the housing is fully screwed to the container in a predetermined alignment position. The lug means may be formed on both the housing and the container.

The spout can be push-fit to the container.

As the flowable formulation passes through an applicator in the form of a spout before being discharged from an applicator formed of a housing and a support having a plurality of elongated parting members projecting from the support. To facilitate the delivery of the flowable formulation, a guide tube can be provided in the housing to receive the free end of the spout when the housing is placed over the spout.

[0033] Preferably, the container is a bag-in-bottle container so that the flowable formulation can be delivered regardless of the orientation of the bag-in-bottle container.

In such a container, the inner collapsed layer forms a tank and the outer deformable layer is separated from the inner collapsed layer by a buffer region. The valve means includes a buffer region (
The flow of air into the bottle) and the flow of the flowable formulation out of the tank (bag) can be controlled. The valve means may include a one-piece valve member in order to simplify assembly and thus obtain commercial advantages.

In practice, the valve member includes an annular flapper valve that controls the opening of one or more air inlets of the spout, wherein the annular flapper valve comprises a single annular flapper valve in the spout. Surrounding a central quadrolobe valve that controls the opening of the elongate passage, which is push-fit into a single elongate passage at the spout.

It will be appreciated that the flowable formulation may be a hair and / or scalp formulation.

Next, the applicator system according to the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings show a hair dyeing kit embodying all aspects of the present invention, and the various inventive aspects sought protection in this patent application and in some concurrent patent applications are: It relates to various applicators and applicator systems, as well as the delivery system used in delivering the flowable formulation.

The flowable preparation is preferably a hair dye, but none of the embodiments of the invention is limited to such a specific flowable preparation. Other examples of flowable preparations are agents such as pet care, foods such as cake mixes, detergents such as clothing or carpet care, cosmetics such as body lotions or moisturizers, adhesives or lubricants.

The use of hair dyes may be problematic.

One problem is that the hair dye must be prepared from more than one compounding material immediately prior to use. This means that the ingredients must be stored separately, allowing the user to mix the ingredients when needed. Generally, one compounding material is hydrogen peroxide and another compounding material is a dye. However, when adding the dye to the hydrogen peroxide, there should be no risk of fouling to the user.

Another problem is that the hair dye must be able to be applied to the hair with an applicator at any angle. When feeding the applicator from a simple squeeze bottle, when the squeeze bottle is full, the applicator will be ready to use in any orientation. However, as the contents of the squeeze bottle gradually decrease, the applicator cannot be used immediately in either direction, and it is necessary to first prepare the supply in order to offset the effect of the hair dye reabsorption. There will be. This makes it difficult to control the application of the hair dye, especially to the hairline, while avoiding skin stains.

The present hair dyeing kit allows the preparation of the hair dye just before use, and the hair dye is released by a mechanically generated pressure difference (not an aerosol), and the hair dye in any orientation It can have an applicator supplied by a user controlled delivery system that can always release the agent immediately.

An omnidirectional delivery is preferably possible for all of the released hair dye, which can be more than 90% and even 95% of the prepared hair dye.

The present hair dyeing kit further allows the hair dye to be delivered in a user-adjusted amount through an applicator to a specific area, thereby achieving a uniform color distribution with minimal soiling.

With careful operation no applicator is equally suitable for applying the hair dye to the base, hairline and most of the hair with one applicator . Accordingly, it is common to prepare different types of applicators selected from wire applicators, surface applicators and brush / comb applicators. The wire applicator can be a spout with one outlet and the surface applicator can be made of a porous material with multiple outlets. The brush / comb applicator can have a plurality of outlets for delivering hair dye, which is then dispersed by a plurality of elongate parting members. As expected, the elongated parting member will resemble the bristle or comb teeth. All different types of applicators can be in fluid communication with a container of hair dye.

The specific advantages of the present hair dyeing kit are as follows. It comprises: (a) a hair dye remaining in or on the other applicator during treatment of the hair, exposing only selected ones of the three applicators of different types during use; Eliminates the risk of contamination. (B) a foam applicator having a porous structure that is elastically compressible to improve the diffusion of the hair dye,
It is formed of a sponge material. (C) In brush / comb applicators of the three different types of applicators, at least two of the outlets are each formed in a corresponding elongated parting member in order to improve the distribution of the hair dye.

Another advantage of the present hair dyeing kit is that the integral valve simultaneously serves the dual function of controlling the inflow of air and the outflow of the hair dye, while the support of the elongated parting member is Fixed to the housing by at least one catch releasable at a location remote from the brush and, with the wire applicator attached to the container, the brush /
It is possible to place the comb applicator over the wire applicator and still attach it directly to the container.

Before describing the surface applicator with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and the brush / comb applicator with reference to FIGS. 9-12, the line applicator with reference to FIGS. The following describes a delivery system that incorporates.

The bottle 10 can be provided with a hollow body 12 having a substantially elliptical cross-section, closed at the lower end and provided with an open neck 14 at the upper end. An external thread 16 may be attached to the neck. Further, a pair of opposing lug means 18 can be formed on the neck 14, only one of which is shown in FIG. Each of the lug means 18 preferably has a gap 20 to which the ramp 22 approaches for the purpose described below.

At least the body 12 is formed of an elastically deformable plastic material,
When 0 is released from the squeezed state, it can quickly return to the original shape. The plastic material is low density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene (LL
DPE) or polypropylene and may be transparent. If not transparent, the plastic material is preferably translucent and may or may not be colored.

The two overlapping sheets 26 of the same shape are sealed along most of the common perimeter to form a side sealed pouch having an upper opening 28 and a lower V-shaped edge 30 to provide a flexible bag. 24 can be formed. Bag 24 forms a tank for the first material, such as hydrogen peroxide, and must therefore have good waterproofing. Each sheet 26 can be made of a laminated metallized material and is preferably LLD
Includes three layers of PE sealant / adhesive / metallized PET (polyethyl terephthalate).

By inserting the bag 24 from the neck 14 into the bottle 10, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer deformable layers (the body 12
) And an inner collapsed layer (sheet 26).

As shown in FIG. 4, support tube 34 can be inserted into bag 24 through opening 28. The tube 34 can have a plurality of holes 36 along its length and can form at least some rigid channels that are open in cross section. The lower end 38 of the tube 34 may be open or closed. The lower end 38 of the tube 34 may be in contact with the bag 24, but preferably the lower end 38 of the tube 34 is close to but not in contact with the V-shaped edge 30 of the bag 24. The upper end of tube 34 can be secured to bayonet 40 by any suitable method or means,
It can be simply pushed onto the plug 40.

The bayonet 40 is partially insertable into the bag 24 through the opening 28 and partially into the bottle 10 through the neck 14. Preferably, the bayonet is permanently liquid tightly secured to the sheet 26 around the opening 28, such as by heat or ultrasonic welding. Alternatively, the insert 40 and the bag 24 can be made in one piece. The bayonet 40 is preferably immovably secured to the neck 14 by a simple push-fit or other suitable method or means, but can be removed by a user to make the system refillable. It may be.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the insert 40 includes a tubular member 42 forming an orifice and extending centrally of the side wall 44, and a pair of opposing transverse walls 46. It can be a one-piece plastic molding having a lower portion 48.

As shown, an outward flange 50 is provided at the upper end of the side wall 44 to limit insertion of the insert 40 into the bottle 10 and is substantially intermediate between the flange 50 and the transverse wall 46. Is provided with an inward rib 52. As shown,
A plurality of holes 54 are provided in the transverse wall 46 to couple the buffer region 32 to an annular channel 56 formed between the tubular member 42 and the side wall 44 and thus surrounding the tubular member 42.
Is pierced. The opposing lower portion 48 is illustrated as hollow and prevents sinking of the molded article, thereby facilitating a liquid-tight fixation of the insert 40 to the bag 24.

The lower end of the tubular member 42 is provided with an inward recess for accommodating the upper end of the tube 34, and the upper end of the tubular member 42 may be chamfered inward. it can.

Generally, the bag 24 is supplied to a user in a state where the bag 24 is partially filled with a first material such as hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the first material from escaping through the tube 34 and the tubular member 42. A removable flip top cap can be provided to close the upper end of the tubular member 42. Alternatively, the upper end of the tubular member 42 can be closed with a breakable film seal. But,
Preferably, a removable cap 58 is provided as shown in FIG.

The cap 58 can also be a one-piece plastic molding and can have a plug seal 60 for sealing and closing the upper end of the tubular member 42. Cap 5
The fixing part 62 of 8 can be fitted in an airtight manner on the neck 14 of the bottle 10. However, it is advantageous to form the fixed portion 62 of the cap 58 in a non-hermetic fit. For example, a female thread 64 can be provided that is threadably ventilated to the male thread 16 on the neck 14 of the bottle 10 to form an air passage from the annular channel 56 to the atmosphere.

One advantage is that if the hydrogen peroxide in the bag 24 becomes unstable and generates oxygen, the bag 24 will expand and the air in the buffer area 32 will pass through the holes 50 in the plug-in 40. , Between the screws 16 and 64.

Another advantage is that if the buffer region 32 experiences an undesired pressure change, for example due to the movement of air, the air can still escape from or enter the buffer region 32 by way of the above-mentioned path. .

A hair dye kit as described above allows a user to prepare a hair dye or other flowable formulation immediately prior to use.

In practice, at least the second material is added to the first material in the tank. If the tank is supplied empty or has been emptied from a previous use, it will of course be necessary to first add some first material to the tank. In any case, it is necessary to be able to mix the initially separated materials.

As schematically shown in FIG. 4, the second material can be stored in a completely independent container 66. If the first material is hydrogen peroxide, the second material is likely to be a dye. If the dye reacts to oxygen, the container 66 must have excellent oxygen barrier properties. Further, if the dye is in a form such as a gel, cream or paste, the container 66 would have to be plastically deformable, for example, so that the user can squeeze the dye. On the other hand, if the dye is in a liquid state, it will be able to flow out of the container 66 under the effect of gravity.

If the container 66 is elastically deformable, the bag 24 is preferably inflated with air above the first material, and if the container 66 is not elastically deformable, the bag 24
Is preferably contracted.

A user is provided with a plurality of containers 66, each container 66 may include a different material, such as a different shade of hair dye, and pours one or more contents of the container 66 into a tank. This makes it possible to form special flowable preparations, such as hair dyes, of a particularly selected shade.

The container 66 or each of the plurality of containers 66 desirably includes a long nozzle 68 that can extend completely through the tubular member 42 and into the tube 34. Thus, even when the user is squeezing the container 66 using both hands, the container 6
6 becomes difficult to separate from the bottle 10, so that a good connection can be obtained. In addition, since the contents of the container 66 are jetted directly into the contents of the bag 24 from a short distance, good mixing can be promoted. Of course, prior to insertion of the long nozzle 68 into the tubular member 42, the container 66 must be opened, and the opening may break, cut or twist the nozzle tip 70 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4). Can be done by taking.

As the second material is poured from the container 66 into the bag 24, the volume of air above the first material in the bag 24 gradually decreases, and such compressed air is used to prevent inflation of the bag 24. Need to promote escape.

If the nozzle 68 is loosely fitted to the tubular member 42, compressed air will escape from the loosely fitted portion. Alternatively, one or more splines may be applied to the nozzle 68
And / or one or more castellations may be formed in the dye container near the base of the nozzle 68. Depending on the nature and bulk of the second material in the container 66, the compressed air may be directed upwardly through the second material to cause the air pockets in the bag 24 to expand as the air pockets shrink. , Container 66
Can be formed within.

Even if the bag 24 is inflated, air in the buffer area 32 will escape through the holes 54 in the traversing wall 46 of the bayonet 40, as described above.

After sufficient second material has been added to the first material, the container 66 is removed from the bottle 10 and discarded or resealed for future use.

Instead of adding the second material to the first material by pouring, it is formed in the bag 24 or placed inside it and can be destroyed by squeezing the body 12 of the bottle 10, etc. The second material can be accommodated in a container in which the second material can be added to the first material by the above method.

When the second materials have been added to the first materials, they are preferably mixed by shaking the bottle 10 at this stage. While shaking, the user could place a gloved finger on the upper end of the tubular member 42 to prevent the contents of the bag 24 from escaping. However, it may be more convenient for the user to re-fit the cap 58 so that the plug seal 60 closes the upper end of the tubular member 42. In either case, the tube 34 acts to restrain the bag 24 during the swinging, reversing, or both, of the bottle 10 so that the contents of the bag 24 move more freely than the bag 24. This promotes mixing. If about 10% of the volume of the bag 24 is left as head space, it is believed that optimum mixing by shaking occurs. If both the bag 24 and the barrel 12 of the bottle 10 are translucent, a visual inspection can be made as to whether mixing is complete.

In order to prepare for the release of the flowable formulation formed by the first and second materials, more specifically the hair dye formed by hydrogen peroxide and the dye, the insert 40 is again exposed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spout 72
Can be attached to the plug 40.

The spout 72 is also a one-piece plastic molding, here a cylindrical part 74 and
It has a subsequent dome-shaped portion 76 followed by a tapered portion 78. An outward rib 80 is formed at the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 74. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 74 is formed adjacent to a shoulder 82 provided by a dome-shaped portion 76. One or more, for example, three, air inlets 84 extend through the dome-shaped portion 76 and may be circumferentially equally spaced around the dome-shaped portion 76. An elongated passage 86 is defined in the tapered portion 78 which gradually narrows along its length from a large lower end to a single outlet 88 at a smaller upper end. An annular recess 90 is formed in the inner surface of the tapered portion 78 near the large lower end of the passage 86. An annular rib 92 is formed on the outer surface of the tapered portion 78 near the small upper end of the passage 86.

A valve member 94, which can be made of a silicone polymer and can be made in one piece, can be attached to the spout 72.

The valve member 94 preferably includes an inlet portion in the form of an annular flapper valve 96 that functions as a one-way check valve for controlling the flow of air from the air inlet 84.

The valve member 94 further comprises a central quadrolobe valve 9 which functions as a one-way check valve for controlling the outflow of the hair dye from the passage 86.
Preferably, it comprises an outlet section in the form of an eight. The four-lobe valve 98 is preferred because it opens the hair from the center rather than the sides, thereby further smoothing the flow of hair dye. However, as a modification of the four-lobe valve 98, the outlet portion of the valve member 94 may be a flap valve, an umbrella valve, or a duckbill valve.

The flap valve 96 and the four-lobe valve 98 include a transverse sealing wall 100 and a frustoconical positioning wall 102, on the outer surface of which an annular rib 104 is provided.

The valve member 94 is moved into the spout 72 by pushing the four-lobe valve 98 into the passage 86 until the annular rib 104 on the valve member 94 engages the annular recess 90 in the spout 72. Easy to install.

Next, until the rib 80 of the annular portion 74 of the spout 72 clicks over the rib 52 of the insert 40 or at least snaps into place with its feel.
The spout 72 is easily attached to the spigot 40 by pushing the cylindrical portion 74 of the spout 72 into the annular channel 56 of the spigot 40, with the shoulder 82 of the spout 72 being inserted. Abuts the flange 40 of the fitting 40 and the sealing wall 100 of the valve member 94 sealingly engages the upper end of the tubular member 42 of the bayonet fitting 40.

In the modified structure, the spout 7 is screwed instead of the push-fit type described above.
2 can be attached to the plug 40.

After the spout 72 has been attached to the insert 40, the bottle 10 can be shaken to mix or remix the flowable formulation.

The user squeezes the body 12 of the bottle 10 in order to send the hair dye from the bag 24 to the outlet 88 of the spout 72, and to release the hair dye linearly from the bag 24 to the base of the hair or the like. . This compresses the air in the buffer region 32, but this compressed air passes through the fluid passage including the hole 54, the annular channel 56 and the air inlet 84 because the flap valve 96 acts to close the air inlet 84. Can not escape. Instead, the compressed air partially shrinks the bag 24 so that some hair dye is open to allow the tube 34, tubular member 42, frustoconical positioning wall 102, and hair dye to be released. It is extruded through a fluid passage containing a shape valve 98. When the user stops squeezing the body 12 of the bottle 10, the bottle 10 quickly returns to its original shape and the buffer area 32 expands. Closing the four-lobe valve 98 prevents hair dye from being sucked back past the four-lobe valve 98 and the bag 24 partially maintains its compressed state. Instead, air is drawn into the buffer area 32 through a flap valve 96 that is open to allow air to flow in from the air inlet 84.

[0086] The user operates the body 1 of the bottle 10 at the pressure and frequency considered suitable for the situation.
Repeat the aperture of 2.

The hole 36 of the tube 34 can prevent the hair dye from being caught when the bag 24 gradually contracts and the sheets 26 of the bag 24 come into contact with each other, and the tube 34 itself also contracts. It will be appreciated that the flowable formulation in tube 34 can be released.

When delivering the hair dye, the user will be able to see that the bag 24 is deflated, at least through the translucent body 12. This will reassure users who are afraid that the hair dye will suddenly run out.

The tank for the first material may be a side sealed pouch as described above,
Other shapes are possible, for example, an inverting-half-bag
It is also possible to provide an inner shrinkable layer distinguished from the outer deformable layer by a bottle or delaminating bottle, or by a compression blown bag integrally molded with the bayonet. In the case of a layered bottle, it is preferable that the bottle is sequentially peeled from the neck.

Further, as described above, the valve member is of a unitary structure but can have a dual function, but the valve member can also take other forms, such as a hair dye Separate valves can be provided for controlling the outflow and the inflow of air, the inflow of air being a simple air hole, probably located in the body of the bottle and closed by the user.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, surface applicator 106 includes spout 72
Is fixed so as to be removable over the outlet 88. More specifically, surface applicator 106 may include a pad 108 of foam, sponge material having a resiliently compressible porous structure. Such a structure not only has a plurality of outlets, but also allows the hair dye coming out of the outlet 88 to pass through the pad 108 and be spread evenly along the hairline by careful manipulation. . The pad 108 can be located at or near the upper end of the carrier 110, with the lower half of the carrier 110 frustoconical in a direction from the smaller upper end to the larger lower end. An annular recess 112 may be provided in the inner surface of the lower half of the carrier 110 to releasably engage the annular rib 92 on the spout 72 when the carrier 110 is pressed onto the spout 72. The carrier 110 and the spout 72 can have a mutual structure that can prevent relative rotation. To facilitate accurate application, the pad 108 can have a curved surface, and the curved surface
Extends along only a portion of the circumference of the upper half of the If the pad 108 is made of a plastic material and the carrier 110 is also made of a plastic material, the pad 108 can be fixed to the carrier 110 using an adhesive. Of course, if the original surface applicator 106 is not to be cleaned and reused, a similar series of disposable or a different series of replaceable surface applicators 106 can be provided.

As shown in FIGS. 9-12, instead of the surface applicator 106, a brush / comb applicator 114 can be removably secured over the outlet 88 of the spout 72, The brush / comb applicator 114 includes a housing 116
And a removable unit 118.

The brush / comb applicator 114 can be screwed or snapped onto the neck 14.

The housing 116 is also a one-piece plastic molded product. When viewed from above, an opening 120, a tapered open chamber 122 provided with a series of slotted webs 124 on both main side walls, and a chamber 128 are formed as chambers 122. Guide tube 126 that is in open communication with
A slot 130 at the upper end of the chamber 28, a female screw 132 near the lower end of the chamber 128, and a pair of opposed lug means 134 at the lower end of the chamber 128 are formed.

The female screw 132 is preferably removable from the mold without twisting.

The housing 116 can be removably screwed to the bottle 10 by engaging the internal thread 132 in the chamber 128 with the external thread 16 of the neck 14.
As the housing 116 is sequentially screwed, the outlet 88 of the spout 72 enters the guide tube 126. Finally, the lug means 134 cams along the ramp 22 of the lug means 18 to snap into the gap 20 of the lug means 18. When the snap fits, a click or at least the feel is obtained and the housing 1
Reference numeral 16 indicates that the bottle 10 is completely screwed. In this final position, remembering that the cross section of the body 12 is substantially elliptical with the lug means 18 and 132 engaged with each other, the chamber 122 opens in the direction of the long axis of the body 12.

The detachable unit 118, which is the last component of the present hair dyeing kit, can also be formed as a single-piece from a plastic material such as polypropylene to which silicone or the like is added to reduce the coefficient of friction. it can.

By making the removable unit 118 at least partially translucent,
The user can be notified that the flowable formulation is about to be delivered.

The unit 118 includes a support 136 that is gradually flat and tapered from a narrow upper end to a wider lower end. The narrow upper end has a catch 13
8 extend from which a barbed tip 138a extends. A rigid catch 140 extends from the wide lower end, and a barbed tip 140a extends therefrom. Around the support 136, a skirt 1 having an outer shape corresponding to the opening of the chamber 122 is provided.
42 are formed. A plurality of elongate parting members, such as substantially rigid teeth 144, can be resiliently deflected from support 136, rigid catch 140, rigid catch 140
And the skirt 142 protrudes in the opposite direction. A plurality of outlets 146 for the flowable formulation can extend through the support 136.

As best shown in FIG. 9, the teeth 144 can be arranged in two rows. When viewed from the ends of the two rows, the teeth 144 can, but need not, have a generally triangular profile with different lateral dimensions. Tooth 14
The lateral dimension of 4 can gradually increase from the narrow upper end of support 136 to the wide lower end of support 136. In addition, the different rows of teeth 144 may be staggered, again having a generally triangular profile, but having approximately the same thickness when viewed from the side of the two rows.

As best shown in FIG. 11, at least two of the outlets 146,
Perhaps all extend further through each tooth 144. But exit 1
It may be desirable for one or more of 46 not to penetrate teeth 144. For example, at least one outlet 146 can be provided in support 136 between adjacent teeth 144. At least two, and perhaps all, of the outlets 146 passing through the teeth 144 can be exposed at the orifices 148 at the free ends of the teeth 144.

Indeed, it is convenient to state that the orifice 148 is at the free end of the tooth 144, but in part to avoid directly covering the scalp, As a result of a suitable shaping technique known as a passing face shut off technique which allows the orifice 148 to be formed by a simple two-piece mold without the need, the orifice 148 is free of teeth 144. It is in a position slightly retracted from the end.

In order to assemble the unit 118 into the housing 116, it is only necessary to fit the barbed tip 140a of the rigid catch 140 into the slot 130 and then rotate it. This allows the free edge of the skirt 142 to engage the slotted web 124 and allows the barbed tip 138 a of the catch 138 to flex so that the catch 138 fits into the opening 120. A barbed tip 138 a of the catch 138 emerges from the opening 120 and the housing 1 around the opening 120.
When snap-engaged with the sixteen materials, the unit 118 is fully secured to the housing 116.

To remove unit 118 from housing 116, the reverse procedure is followed.
The catch 138 can be released by being pushed away by finger pressure. Alternatively, the housing 116 may be rolled over a hard surface so that the hard surface
The catch 138 can also be released by pushing the barbed tip 138a of 38 back into the opening 120. Release of catch 138 is orifice 14
It will be understood that this takes place at a location remote from E.8.

One reason for removing the unit 118 from the housing 116 would be to make it easier to clean the residual hair dye.

Another reason for removing unit 118 from housing 116 would be to allow it to be replaced with another unit 118 of a different type. For example, a substantially rigid tooth 144 having a comb structure may be replaced with a brush-like structure having a plurality of resiliently deflectable bristles, a sponge-like structure, and teeth and orifices different in size and / or shape. It may be desirable to replace it with another comb structure having both or either of the following. This will facilitate complete dispersion of the delivered hair dye in different situations, such as different hair lengths or different hair types.

The size, location and shape of the orifices 148 can be adjusted to the flowability of the hair dye or to the individual units 118 as needed for different hair dyeing results, such as root covering, streaking or highlighting. Will be changed.

Generally, for all purposes herein, the first container to contain the first material, when fitted with any one of the different applicators, or a combination thereof, includes a bottle. Can be interpreted as

As another general matter, for all purposes herein, a flowable formulation can demonstrate pseudoplastic flowability, which means that when subjected to shear, Once the viscosity of the flowable formulation has decreased and the shearing action has ceased, the internal structure of the flowable formulation (which can respond to the original viscosity) rebuilds very quickly to reach the internal structure of the original viscosity. To increase viscosity.

The flowable preparation is capable of exhibiting the above-described pseudoplastic flowability within a range of a shear strain rate of 0.01 s ^{-1 to} 10,000 s ^-1. This is the most promising range of shear strain rates available when the agent is a hair dye.

One example of a flowable formulation has a pH of 0.2 when measured at a shear strain rate of 2000 s ⁻¹ . 01 Pa. s or more (preferably 0.15 Pa.s or more) and 5 Pa.s when measured at a shear strain rate of 10 s ^-1 . s or less (preferably 1.4 Pa.s or less).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cap, a bottle, a flexible bag, a support tube, a plug, a valve, a spout, a sponge pad, a comb-shaped housing, and a comb which are components of a hair dye kit embodying the present invention. .

FIG. 2 is a cutaway enlarged sectional view showing the cap when fixed to a bottle.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plug-in device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, showing the dye container when connected to a bayonet so that the dye in the dye container can be added to the flexible bag.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a spout when fixed to a bottle.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5, showing the sponge pad when fixed to the spout.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the comb housing when the comb portion is fixed to the comb housing and fixed to the bottle.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the comb portions before they are fixed to each other.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the comb housing before being fixed to each other.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IS, JP, KE, KG , KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZW (72) Inventor Allen, Leslie United Kingdom, Buckinghamshire, S.E.L.

Claims (38)

[Claims] 1. A method for dispensing a flowable formulation, comprising: a container for containing the flowable formulation; and at least three different types of applicators, each of the three applicators. Having at least one outlet through which the flowable formulation passes during application, wherein at least a first of the three applicators is securable to the container; An applicator system wherein at least a second applicator of the three applicators is securable to the first of the three applicators, wherein the at least one applicator at a time while applying the flowable formulation. Applicator system characterized in that only said at least one outlet of one of the three applicators is exposed. 2. The first applicator of the three applicators,
The applicator system according to claim 1, which is a spout. 3. The applicator system according to claim 1, wherein a third of the three applicators has a plurality of elongated parting members. 4. The second applicator of the three applicators,
The applicator system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the applicator system is made of a porous material. 5. The first applicator means, comprising: a container used to deliver a flowable preparation, the container containing the flowable preparation; and first applicator means having first outlet means. Comprises a second applicator means having a second outlet means, wherein said flowable preparation in said container can be delivered from said first outlet means and is attachable to said container. The second applicator means is positionable over the first applicator means such that the flowable formulation can pass through the first outlet means before being delivered from the second outlet means. An applicator system, wherein the second applicator means is attachable to the container. 6. The applicator system according to claim 5, wherein said first applicator means is a spout. 7. The applicator system according to claim 5, wherein said second applicator means has a plurality of elongated parting members. 8. Applicator system according to claim 5, wherein a third applicator means made of a porous material is attachable to the first applicator means. 9. The applicator system of claim 8, wherein during application of the flowable formulation, only one of the three applicators is exposed at a time. 10. A fluid applicator used to deliver the fluid formulation, a container for containing the fluid formulation, a line applicator for delivering the fluid formulation from a single outlet, the fluid formulation. At least three different types of applications, including a surface applicator for delivering the fluid formulation from a plurality of outlets onto a surface, and a brush / comb applicator for delivering the flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets and dispersed by a plurality of elongated parting members. An applicator assembly comprising: a foam or sponge material having an elastically compressible porous structure for delivering the flowable formulation, the applicator system comprising: . 11. A container used to deliver the flowable formulation, containing the flowable formulation, a line applicator for delivering the flowable formulation from a single outlet, the flowable formulation. At least three different types of applications, including a surface applicator for delivering the fluid formulation from a plurality of outlets onto a surface, and a brush / comb applicator for delivering the flowable formulation from a plurality of outlets and dispersed by a plurality of elongated parting members. And at least two of said plurality of outlets of said brush / comb applicator are formed in corresponding ones of said elongated parting members. Applicator system. 12. The surface applicator of claim 11, wherein the surface applicator is made of a porous material.
An applicator system as described. 13. The applicator system according to claim 4, wherein the porous material is an elastically compressible foam or sponge material. 14. The applicator system of claim 10, wherein the foam or sponge material is in the form of a pad at or near one end of the carrier. 15. The spout according to claim 2, wherein the spout has a single elongated passage for delivering the flowable formulation. Applicator system. 16. The splicer of claim 10, wherein the wire applicator is a spout having a single elongated passage for delivering the flowable formulation.
Or an applicator system according to any one of the claims dependent on claim 11. 17. The applicator system according to claim 14, wherein the carrier is of a push-fit type that is detachable from the spout. 18. The applicator system according to claim 14, wherein the carrier is a push-fit type which is detachable from the spout. 19. The applicator system of claim 17, wherein the pad extends only along a portion of the outer circumference of the carrier. 20. The applicator system according to claim 15, wherein the spout is of a push-fit type with respect to the container. 21. The applicator system according to claim 15, wherein the air inlet of the spout can be opened by operating a valve member. 22. The applicator system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of air inlets of the spout can be opened by actuation of a valve member. 23. The applicator system of claim 21, wherein the single elongated passage of the spout is also openable by actuation of the valve member. 24. The valve member according to claim 2, wherein the valve member includes an annular flapper valve surrounding a central four-lobe valve that is press-fit into the single elongated passage of the spout.
4. The applicator system according to 3. 25. The elongate parting member protrudes from a support for delivering the flowable formulation through a housing.
Alternatively, the applicator system according to any one of claims 3, 7, 10 or 11. 26. The housing according to claim 25, wherein the housing has a guide tube for receiving a free end of the spout when the housing is placed over the spout.
25. An applicator system according to any one of claims 15 to 24. 27. The applicator system of claim 25, wherein each of said elongated parting members is in the form of a substantially rigid tooth. 28. The applicator system of claim 27, wherein the teeth are arranged in at least one row and at least one of the outlets is provided at a free end of each of the teeth. 29. The elongate parting member and the support are removably separable from the housing.
The applicator system according to any one of the preceding claims. 30. The applicator system of claim 29, wherein the elongated parting member and the support are formed as a unit that can be secured to the housing by securing means including a catch. 31. The catch is resiliently deflectable and engageable with an opening through the housing, the catch being releasable at a location remote from the elongated parting member. 31. The applicator system of claim 30. 32. The applicator system of claim 31, further comprising a catch that functions as a pivot. 33. A plurality of supports, wherein one of the plurality of supports can be selected by a user, wherein the elongated parting members of different supports are of different types. 33. An applicator system according to any one of items 29 to 32. 34. An applicator system according to any one of claims 25 to 33, wherein the housing is threadably removable with respect to the container. 35. The applicator system of claim 34, wherein the housing and the container are formed with lug means that snap together when the housing is fully screwed to the container. 36. The container of the preceding claim, wherein the container is a bag-in-bottle container, and wherein the bag-in-bottle container is capable of delivering the flowable formulation in any orientation. An applicator system according to any one of the preceding claims. 37. The applicator system of claim 36, wherein a monolithic valve member is capable of controlling both the inflow of air into the bottle and the outflow of the flowable formulation from the bag. 38. The applicator system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flowable formulation is a hair and / or scalp formulation.