JP2021516073A - Wiper device for cosmetic applicators - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a one-piece wiper device for an applicator assembly for applying a paste-like cosmetic, wherein the applicator assembly is provided with a gripping rod and an application means for taking the cosmetic, at least one applicator, the applicator is longitudinal. A container with a neck that slides along an axis XX, called the directional axis, the wiper device has a substantially cylindrical shape that can fit inside the neck, along with a first flange for attachment to the neck edge of the container. It comprises a wiper device provided, a second flange for attaching to the inner shoulder of the neck, a lip protruding inward of the container, and when the device engages the neck, the second flange Includes an annular external protrusion located substantially near the lip and bearing, supports at least one additional element to allow external contact with the inner surface of the neck shoulder, and a wiper device provides the inner surface of the neck. And a wiper device that achieves proper contact.

Description

The present invention relates to a wiper device for an applicator assembly for applying liquid, paste or powder cosmetics such as mascara or eyeliner.

This type of applicator assembly is traditionally intended to contain cosmetics and comprises a bottle with a threaded neck into which the cap can be screwed. The cap has a rod at the end with an applicator for the product to be applied. Therefore, the applicator is immersed in the product contained in the bottle, preferably this type of applicator assembly further comprises a wiper element for wiping (or squeezing) the rod and / or applicator when removed from the bottle.

In general, the efficiency and main function of the wiper is related to the shape of the wiper. The wiper's external shape needs to be easily attached to the holder or container neck while holding the wiper firmly during movement, such as inserting or removing the applicator from the container. The internal shape of the wiper must match both the external shape of the applicator, the mechanical properties, and the properties of the product to be applied. In addition, the efficiency of the wiper is related to the material of the wiper.

The wiper element or wiper used in this type of applicator assembly must be able to wipe off excess product on the rod and applicator while maintaining the product loading on the applicator. Generally, such wipers are in the form of a slightly flexible sleeve fixed to the neck of the bottle and have an inner wall defining a small constant diameter passage at the end for wiping the rod. The wiper can be slightly deformed to allow the applicator to pass through. Such applicators are particularly found in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3, or Patent Document 4.

Patent Document 3 discloses a wiper, one of its features comprising an external lip that can be attached under the medial shoulder of the neck. The protruding edge holds the wiper to the outer edge of the neck. The combined action of these two elements allows the wiper to be secured to the neck of the container both axially and radially. The problem is holding the wiper in place as the rod, especially the applicator device, passes through, the latter passing through the narrowed opening of the wiping grip and undergoing significant deformation and subject to tensile stress. Therefore, a compromise must be found and various solutions have already been developed for this purpose. The wiper disclosed in this case has a circular or partially circular lip, also called a "hoop" or "harpoon". This shape needs to be flexible and flattens when the wiper is placed in the opening in the neck of the container and returns to its natural position under the shoulder inside the neck of the container. Therefore, securely holding the wiper on the neck of the container is related to the ability of the outer lip to resist the removal force applied to the wiper by the applicator as it exits the container.

Patent Document 4 describes a wiper in which a portion arranged inside the container under the shoulder of the neck has a special split lip. These lips are particularly flexible and can efficiently wipe the rod as it passes through the neck.

Therefore, all of the current wiper devices disclosed in these patent applications or patents have an external lip, the effect of which is closely related to the internal shape of the neck of the container in which it is used.

Another problem encountered concerns the shape non-uniformity of the container, especially at the neck, regardless of the material from which the container is made. These irregularities are inherently due to manufacturing and the dimensional differences can be large. In addition, surface conditions may vary. Some containers may have a smooth inner surface, others may have a rough inner surface. These anomalies can cause the wiper to not be securely attached to the neck.

Especially with respect to bottles or containers made of glass, these bottles have a very irregular internal shape on the shoulders of the neck, regardless of the quality of manufacture. The vertical position of the restriction (inside the shoulder) with respect to the reference plane (upper surface of the neck) is not accurate and may fluctuate by several millimeters. The overhanging surface of the inner shoulder is not uniform. Moreover, the fillet radius between the neck opening and the shoulder is very approximate and its dimensions are not guaranteed in this type of process.

Plastic containers, especially when made by blow molding, cannot guarantee the regular position of the shoulders inside the neck, regardless of the quality of production. These bottles have a very irregular internal shape on the shoulders of the neck. The vertical position of the restriction (inside the shoulder) with respect to the reference plane (upper surface of the neck) is not accurate and may fluctuate by several millimeters. The overhanging surface of the inner shoulder is not uniform. Moreover, the fillet radius between the neck opening and the shoulder is very approximate and its dimensions are not guaranteed in this type of process.

European Patent No. 1066771 European Patent No. 1221874 European Patent No. 1275322 French Patent No. 3026274

An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, in particular to enhance the attachment of the wiper to the neck of the container.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a one-piece wiper device for an applicator assembly for applying a paste-like cosmetic, wherein the applicator assembly has a gripping rod and at least one applicator having an application means for applying the cosmetic. A container having a neck in which the applicator slides along an axis XX, called the longitudinal axis, which can be fitted inside the neck and is substantially provided with a first flange for attachment to the edge of the neck of the container. Includes the wiper device having a cylindrical shape, a second flange for attaching to the inner shoulder of the neck, and a lip protruding inward of the container.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the second outer flange comprises an annular external protrusion located substantially near the inner lip and bearing, when the device is engaged to the neck. Externally provided with at least one additional element capable of contacting the inner surface of the shoulder of the neck, which allows the wiper device to be optimized with the inner surface of the neck on any surface. Has maximum contact.

The external protrusions that connect to the additional elements advantageously ensure that the wiper is held in place on the neck, while allowing it to compensate for the dimensional irregularities inside the neck.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the additional element comprises a first set of tabs extending in a plane forming an acute angle with axis XX and located at a first distance from the edge of the neck. The tabs allow for a perfectly fitted surface contact to the shoulder, even if the shoulder has surface or dimensional irregularities.

According to another possibility, the additional element includes a wavy flexible annular strip. This flexible strip fits perfectly on the inner surface of the neck.

According to a further feature, the additional element may include a second set of tabs offset along axis XX with respect to the first set of tabs. The second set of tabs may have a direction similar to that of the first set of tabs.

According to a further feature of the present invention, a ring is provided at the free end of the first tab.

This property allows the wiper to project upwards from the surface of the additional element and further include studs or protrusions configured to contact the inner surface of the shoulder of the neck, which allows for better grip of the wiper at this level. To.

Preferably, the set of first and / or second tabs comprises 2 to 64 tabs.

Advantageously, the tabs are regularly and angularly distributed around axis XX. As an example, the apparatus according to the invention may be vulcanizable rubber, or silicone, or thermoplastic elastomer, or a 3D printer, or the like. It can be made from any other flexible material used by the machine for "additional material" manufacturing.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent when reading the following description with reference to the drawings of Attachment A which show the following description.
FIG. 1A is a side view of the wiper device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a top view of the wiper device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a side view of the wiper device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a top view of the wiper device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a side view of the wiper device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a top view of the wiper device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3C is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a side view of the wiper device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a top view of the wiper device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a wiper device according to the present invention arranged at the neck of the container. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device according to the first embodiment with studs on the fins. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the device according to the first embodiment, which has protrusions on the fins.

For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by the same reference code in all figures.

FIG. 5 shows a wiper device with a cosmetic applicator assembly. The assembly includes, in particular, an applicator 10 with application means for applying the gripping rod 11 and cosmetics 12, and a container 13 having a neck 14 into which the applicator 10 slides. The application means 12 may resemble brush bristles with bristles or spikes that come into contact with keratin fibers for make-up purposes. In addition, the container 13 is closed and filled with a slightly viscous, especially pasty cosmetic product. The container 13 is generally axisymmetric and therefore has a longitudinal axis XX through which the applicator 10 slides. Of course, the applicator may be rotated in the container. This is a method of allowing the applicator to pull up or load the cosmetics when the coating means 12 is in contact with the cosmetics present inside the container 13. When the applicator 12 is removed from the container 13 by the user, it passes through the neck 14 of the container 13 with a generally cylindrical or substantially cylindrical wiper device 1 that can be attached to the neck 14 of the container 13.

In a known manner, the wiper device 1 has a first annular flange 2 at the first end for attaching the wiper device to the outer edge of the neck 14. The first flange allows the wiper device 1 to be axially held within the neck cormorant b14 when the applicator 10 is inserted into the container 13. The wiper device has a second outer flange 3 near its second end that can interact with a shoulder 15 formed on the neck 14 of the container 13. An object of the second flange 3 is to hold the wiper device axially when the applicator 10 is removed from the container 13.

The coating device or brush 12 is sized so that the ends of the bristles or spikes are flush with the inner wall of the wiper 1 at the neck. At least one having a diameter close to the diameter of the rod 11 to wipe the rod each time the applicator 10 passes through the wiper 1 in one direction or the other direction to limit the amount of cosmetics lifted by the rod 11. Two internal lips 4 are generally provided. Of course, the various shapes, orientations, and dimensions of the internal lip 4 are known.

According to the present invention, the second flange 3 includes or is formed from a flexible annular external protrusion substantially located near the inner lip 4. Preferably, a similar "height" is selected for the second flange 3 and the inner lip 4. In the absence of the lip 4, the second flange 3 is located near the inner edge of the wiper, for example, between a quarter and a third of its height measured along the longitudinal axis XX. Is placed in.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show different deformations of the present invention, more specifically, deformations of a second flange 3 comprising a "circular hoop" or "annular external protrusion" 30. Advantageously, the hoop 30 supports from the outside at least one additional element, which can have several shapes. The annular hoop may be continuous or discontinuous around the outer circumference of the body of the wiper 1.

1A, 1B and 1C show an embodiment in which the annular hoops 30 are continuous and support a first set of tabs 31 extending at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis XX in a circular plane. In other words, the tab 31 is oriented towards the first flange 2 of the wiper.

2A, 2B and 2C show the case where the annular hoop 30 is discontinuous around the wiper. Each angle segment of the hoop 30 supports the tab 31. Further, the second set of tabs 32 may be provided around the body of the wiper 1. The second set of tabs 32 is offset axially with respect to the first set of tabs 31. The tab 32 is arranged closer to the upper flange 2 than the tab 31. In addition, the first and / or second set of tabs is chosen to be angularly offset based on the fact that the tabs are regularly angularly distributed for each set.

3A, 3B and 3C differ from FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C due to the presence of the ring 33 at the free end of the first tab 31. It can be seen that the ring 33 is arranged at substantially the same height as the second tab 32. The purpose is to increase the contact surface between the second flange 3 and the shoulder 15, especially if the inner surface is irregular or if the shoulder 2 has a large dimensional difference.

4A, 4B and 4C also show advantageous contact surfaces. In the absence of contact, i.e., if the wiper is not located on the neck b, the additional element will fit snugly in this case, especially but not limited to, all surface and / or dimensional imperfections described above. , In the form of wavy flexible annular strips such as wavy collars and roughs. When it comes in contact with the inner surface of the shoulder, whatever the collar is, it is completely pressed against this surface.

FIG. 6 shows an improved version of the embodiment according to FIG. The improvement consists of a set of studs 310 protruding upward from the top surface of the first set of tabs 31. "Stud" means a type of spike, the number of which varies as needed. These studs help the tabs better grip the irregular surface of the shoulder 15 of the neck 14. Therefore, those skilled in the art can freely select the density of the stud 310. The "top surface" of a tab means the surface of the tab 31 facing the first flange 2.

FIG. 7 also relates to an improvement of the embodiment of FIG. In this case, the protruding portion or the reinforcing portion 320 is provided on the upper surface of the tab. The protrusions improve and enhance contact between the tab 31 and the surface of the shoulder located on the opposite side. The same type of protrusion may be provided on the annular external protrusion or hoop 30.

With respect to the number of tabs, the first and / or second set of tabs preferably comprises 2 to 64 tabs.

The table below shows the results of tensile tests of various wipers made of NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber), NBR70shA.

The first column of the table relates to wipers according to the prior art, ie, which do not have the features of the present invention. The second row of the table is related to the wipers shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, and the third row of the table is related to the wipers shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C. The value is the tensile force expressed in Newton before the wiper comes off. Row B1 corresponds to a bottle or container with a variable neck height. Row B2 corresponds to commonly obtained bottles with manufacturing defects. In each category, all three bottles were tested from the same mold. It should be noted that bottles with wipers, "fins and teeth" and "rings" according to the present invention have better tensile strength than bottles according to the prior art.

The most commonly used plastics for containers are PP (polypropylene), PA and PETG (polyethylene terephthalate), which are selected according to their chemical compatibility with the cosmetics contained in the container.

Regarding the wiper itself, it is known in industrial production that the wiper member is made of vulcanizable rubber such as NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber). Also used are silicones or thermoplastic elastomers belonging to the classes TPE-S (SEBS, SBS, etc.), TRE-V (PP and EPDM), TPE-U (thermoplastic polyurethane).

Claims (9)

A one-piece wiper device for an applicator assembly for applying pasty cosmetics, wherein the applicator assembly is at least one applicator provided with a gripping rod (11) and an application means (12) for taking the cosmetic. (10), a container (13) having a neck (14) through which the applicator (10) slides along an axis XX called a longitudinal axis, the wiper device substantially matching the inside of the neck (14). A wiper device that has a cylindrical shape and is provided with a first flange (2) for attachment to the neck edge of the container, a second for attachment to the inner shoulder (15) of the neck (14). It comprises a flange (3), a lip (3) protruding inward of the container, and when the device engages the neck, the second flange (3) is substantially the lip and bearing. At least one additional element (31, 32, 33) is provided to the outside so that the inner surface of the shoulder portion of the neck portion (14) can be contacted with an annular external protrusion (30) arranged near the. A wiper device that supports and features a wiper device that provides maximum and optimized contact with the internal surface of the neck. The wiper device according to claim 1, wherein the additional element includes a first set of tabs (31) extending in a plane forming an acute angle with the axis XX. The wiper device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the additional element comprises a wavy flexible annular strip (34). The wiper device according to claim 2, wherein the additional element includes a second set of tabs (32) offset along the axis XX with respect to the first tab (31). The wiper device according to claim 2, wherein a ring (33) is provided at a free end of the first tab (31). Further studs (310) or protrusions (320) that project upward from the surface of the additional element and / or the annular outer protrusion (30) and are intended to contact the inner surface of the shoulder portion of the neck. The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wiper device comprises. The first set (31) and / or the second set (32) of tabs comprises 2 to 64 tabs, according to any one of claims 2 to 6. Wiper device. The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tabs (31, 32) are regularly arranged at an angle around the axis XX. The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is made of vulcanizable rubber or silicone or thermoplastic elastomer.

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