WO1990014062A1

WO1990014062A1 - Safety stick, and cotton stem and confectionery equipped with same

Info

Publication number: WO1990014062A1
Application number: PCT/FR1990/000342
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gildas Roclore; Ivan Jager
Original assignee: Mursol Revet-Sols
Priority date: 1989-05-17
Filing date: 1990-05-16
Publication date: 1990-11-29
Also published as: FR2647009A1

Abstract

At least one of the ends (200, 300) of the stick (100) is wrapped in a material designed for contact with a body, particularly for personal hygiene purposes or for a food product. It comprises shock-absorbing means which allow the stick to bend when it comes under an essentially axial shock. Applications exist as safety sticks, such as cotton-stem or lollipop sticks.

Description

"Safety stick, and cotton swab and confectionery thus equipped" The present invention relates to a safety stick of which at least one of the ends is coated with a material intended to be brought into contact with the body, in particular a material intended personal care or a food product, for example a cotton swab stick or a lollipop stick.

The present invention also relates to a cotton swab and a confectionery equipped with such a stick.

The invention applies generally to any stick supporting a material intended to come into contact with a part of the body and capable of injuring the latter in the event of accidental impact on the stick. By way of examples, in addition to the cotton swab or lollipop sticks referred to above, therefore fall within the scope of the invention the sticks serving as a support for a frozen confectionery, the applicators of medicinal products or of cosmetics ...

Such a stick must, to serve as a support for the material of which at least one of its ends is coated and if necessary to fulfill its function as an applicator, have a certain rigidity. This rigidity is however a negative element when, inadvertently, the stick receives a shock: because of its rigidity, the stick then penetrates into the part of the body with which it was in contact - for example the eardrum cotton swab, the oral cavity in the case of a pacifier-, causing at least one trauma to the tissues, even a serious perforation.

It is known from US-A-3,264,115 to seek to avoid such accidents by providing along the stick a bending zone through which it is likely to fade in the event of. shock instead of

REPLACEMENT SHEET get inside the tissue. The bending zone is formed by a flattened and undulating region situated on the stick close to the confectionery part, so as to allow bending of the stick at this point in the event of a collision by lateral impact. Numerous other publications, such as US-A-1 971 560, 2 131 727, 2 246 778, 2 510 490 also offer straight rods liable to bend in the event of an impact. It has been found according to the invention that the simple bending deformation around a point preserves the user only to a very limited extent with respect to said trauma or perforation because most of the time the dangerous shock does not occur in a direction tending directly to bend the stick, so that there is no guarantee that it will bend in the event of a dangerous impact. In general, the direction of dangerous impact is the axial direction, but it is a priori very difficult to weaken the rod axially without harming its function of support or applicator.

The object of the invention is to solve this difficulty.

According to the invention, the safety stick is characterized in that the shock absorption means are designed to generate a flexing of the stick when the latter undergoes a shock essentially directed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the stick in the vicinity of said material. Thus, in the event of a dangerous shock directed along the axis of the packed end of the stick, the latter flexes and the shock is deflected.

Advantageously, the shock absorption means comprise a hollow deformable zone constituted by an accordion type bellows.

REP AC MENT SHEET The bellows constitutes a zone of weakness with respect to the overall rigidity and gives the rod the lateral flexibility properties necessary for it to disappear in the event of a lateral impact, but also compressibility properties which, even if the impact is strictly axial, produce a misalignment of the two parts of the rod, and this misalignment initiates the bending which makes it possible to deflect the shock. This limits the axial movement of the rod against the wall (of the oral cavity or the eardrum) with which it is in contact.

Advantageously, the free end of the stick, that is to say not coated with material, is curved, for example substantially J-shaped, and the stick comprises between the material and the curved end a bending zone. One end of the stick that is not bent could transmit the shock in full to the part of the user's body in contact with the other end of the stick. On the contrary, the curved end which constitutes the part of the stick most exposed to axial shocks, is in the event of impact struck in a direction offset laterally relative to the general axis of the stick, which transforms the shock in the parallel direction to the axis in a bending of the bending zone. In particular, in the case of a confectionery, the curved end of the stick advantageously forms a complete or almost complete loop: this avoids injuries caused by the free end of the stick, which represents increased safety, in particular for eyes.

Instead of a curvature of the free end of the stick, there may be a slight initial misalignment between the two ends of the stick separated by at least one bending zone. As in the previously mentioned case where the end is bent at J, a shock

REPLACEMENT SHEET substantially axial has a direction offset laterally with respect to the axis of the rod portion in contact with the body. This prior misalignment therefore also promotes lateral bending of the rod under an axial shock.

In one embodiment of the invention, the rod has two flexion zones spaced along the rod, preferably constituted by two accordion-type bellows, the part of the rod situated between the two flexion zones being able to act as a stop, for prevent the rod from advancing inside the tissue in the event of an impact, and possibly a movement reversing lever as will be explained below: in the event of an axial impact, the rod flexes substantially in Z and the middle part located between the two flexion zones are supported for example on the outer ear in the case of a cotton swab, on the chin or the cheek in the case of a pacifier, these external parts of the body being of course less vulnerable than the eardrum or oral cavity. The abutment effect can possibly be accompanied by a lever effect thanks to which the end of the stick in contact with the body, not only does not progress inside the tissues but recedes under the thrust of the shock which is exercises in reverse on the other end of the stick.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description below. In the appended drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples:

- Figure 1 is a diagram showing a cotton swab, the stick of which includes a flexion-compression zone according to the invention;

REPLACEMENT SHEET - Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of the flexion-compression zone of the stick of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, after deformation of the stick;

- Figure 4 is a diagram of a lollipop whose stick has a bending zone according to the invention and a free end curved in J;

- Figure 5 is a view of the bending zone of Figure 4 after deformation;

- Figure 6 is a diagram of a cotton swab whose stick has an initial misalignment at two spaced bending zones;

- Figure 7 is a partial view of the cotton swab of Figure 6 undergoing a shock while it is engaged in the ear of a user;

- Figure 8 is an elevational view of a cotton swab according to a variant of the invention; and

- Figure 9 is a view along IX of Figure 8.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the cotton swab shown comprises a stick 1 lined with cotton at each of its ends 2, 3. The stick 1 consists of two cylindrical sections 1a and 1b made of a relatively rigid material such as wood, plastic or cardboard, the sections 1a and 1b being connected together by a bending-compression zone constituted by a bellows 4. A cardboard construction is advantageous insofar as it allows, during manufacture, a continuity of material over the entire length of the stick: preferably the two cylindrical sections 1a and 1b are hollow like the bellows 4; the latter comprises a tubular cardboard wall, thinned with respect to that of the sections 1a and 1b, and folded by segments in the manner of an accordion, as seen in

REPLACEMENT SHEET Figure 2. The bellows 4 may however be of a different material from that of the sections 1a and 1b, provided that it makes it possible to obtain a deformable zone in bending and in compression. In the event of a substantially axial impact occurring on the stick 1 during use, one of the ends 2 or 3 lined with cotton being in contact with the body of the user, in the ear for example, the bellows 4 is compressed and deforms as shown in FIG. 3, causing a misalignment of the sections 1a and 1b so that the shock, even if it is initially perfectly axial, then generates a bending torque resulting in a bending of the rod and more precisely of the flexion-compression zone 4. The shock is therefore deflected without being transmitted to the end of the rod which is engaged in the ear and thus accidental perforation of the eardrum is avoided.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the lollipop consists of a stick 10, one of the ends 20 of which, rounded in the shape of a bulb, is coated with confectionery 50, the free end 30 being curved so as to form an almost complete loop. The stick 10 comprises between the end 20 supporting the confectionery 50 and the curved end 30, preferably near the confectionery part, a bending zone which, in the preferred example shown, is a bending-compression zone constituted by a bellows 40.

In the event of an impact on the outside of the rounded end of the curved end 30, which is the part of the stick most exposed to axial impacts, the end 30 slides and disappears under the impact, causing a lateral bending of the stick 1 at the bellows 4, as shown in FIG. 5. Due to the curvature of its free end 30, the stick 1 was struck in a

REPLACEMENT SHEET parallel direction, offset laterally from its general axis, and the combination of the curved end with the bending zone caused the transformation of the axial shock into a bending of the bellows 40. As the curved end 30 forms an almost loop complete, it is finally directed against the rod 10 and can therefore in no case injure.

The rounded end 20 makes it possible to avoid, in the event of a purple shock, a perforation of the palate or of any other sensitive part, in particular if this end 20 is not very coated at the time of the shock, that is to say because almost the entire confectionery was eaten, or because when the stick was coated the food material was unevenly distributed.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7, the stick 11 of the cotton swab, lined with cotton at each of its ends 12 and 13, comprises three straight tubular sections 11a, 11b, llç_ which initially form two angles between them whose concavities are directed in opposite directions. The sections 11a, 11b, 11e are joined by two bellows 14, 15 spaced along the stick.

Each of the two deformable bellows 14, 15 is therefore initially bent and the sections 11a, 11b, 11e have an initial relative misalignment which favors a frank lateral flexion in the event of a substantially axial impact, as seen in FIG. 7 where the end 12 of the cotton swab is engaged in the duct 16 of the ear (shown diagrammatically): in the event of an impact on the free end 13, essentially directed in the axis of the end section 11a and therefore also in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the section 11b engaged in the ear, the rod 11 flexes at the bellows 14 and 15 to form

REPLACEMENT SHEET substantially a Z. The length of the section 11b introduced into the ear is at most equal to the distance which separates the eardrum from the external ear, in other words this length is such that the bending at the bellows 15 separating the section of end 11b of the middle link section allows the middle link section to bear on the outer ear, thus serving as a stop. The shock imparted to the end 13 is transmitted axially by the section 11a. up to the bellows 14, which results in a movement of the bellows 15 in the opposite direction, because the part llç_, pressed against the outer ear 16e. acted as a reversing lever. There follows a retraction of the section 11b towards the outside of the ear, as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 7. The stop and motion reversing lever functions fulfilled by the section llç_ finally allow the axial shock to be absorbed by pressing the bellows 14 against a part of the face that is less vulnerable than the eardrum. Another embodiment of a safety stick in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The cotton swab 100 is made up of two rigid tubular straight sections 100a and 100b each lined with cotton at their respective ends 200, 300. The sections 100a, 100b form an angle between them. The middle part of the stick 100 is constituted by a helical part 100c. the ends of which are extended by the straight end sections 100a, 100b. The middle part 100c. has two bellows 400, 500 arranged side by side and separated by a turn from the middle part 100ç_, which has only a little more than a turn.

The bellows 400, 500 make it possible to adjust, by extension or compression, the length of the section 100a. or 100b intended to penetrate the ear,

REPLACEMENT SHEET such that the helical part 100c_, forming a boss inside the angle between the parts 100a and 100b, can bear on the external ear and thus serve as a stop for the sticking in. In the event of a shock essentially directed parallel to the axis of that of the two sections 100a, 100b which has been introduced into the ear, the helical part 100c serving as a stop, absorbs the shock by pressing on the outer ear and l absorbs thanks to its curvature. The support of the helical part 100c on the external ear can also produce a reversal of movement effect leaving the end 200 or 300 which is engaged therein, in the event of a shock directed parallel to this end but applied to the other end 300 or 200. The spiral configuration and the presence of at least one bellows on the spiral constitute shock absorption means which result, in addition to the abutment effect, by an elasticity and therefore a depreciation capacity. The various embodiments that have just been described for the safety stick according to the invention thus have the advantage of absorbing shocks essentially directed parallel to the longitudinal direction that the stick has in the vicinity of the coating. of material (cotton, confectionery, etc.), that is to say in the vicinity of that of its two ends which is in contact with the body of the user. Because they include a bending zone, the shock absorption means described are of course capable of also responding to lateral impacts, that is to say essentially directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the rod. near its end which is in contact with the body.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and it is possible to add

REPLACEMENT SHEET numerous modifications to these without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus in the embodiment of Figure 1, the bellows could have asymmetrical undulations, so as to promote misalignment in the event of a perfectly axial impact.

In the version of the stick with two spaced bending zones, the middle part being rectilinear (Figures 6 and 7) or in a spiral (Figures 8 and 9), and in the version of the stick having a bending zone and a curved end (Figures 4 and 5), the bellows could be replaced by non-compressible joints but allowing lateral bending. In fact, in these examples, the transformation of the axial shock into a bending movement does not result, or not only, from an initial compression of the bending zone.

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Claims

CLAIMS 1. Safety stick of which at least one of the ends (2, 3; 20; 12, 13; 200; 300) is coated with a material intended to be brought into contact with the body, such as a material intended personal care or a food product, in particular a stick (1, 11, 100) for a cotton swab or a stick (10) for a lollipop or frozen confection comprising shock absorption means (4; 30, 40; 15; 100c, 400, 500), characterized in that the shock absorption means (4; 30, 40; 14, 15; 100c, 400, 500), are designed to cause bending of the rod (1, 10, 11 , 100) when the latter undergoes a shock essentially directed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rod in the vicinity of said material.

2. Rod according to claim 1, characterized in that the shock absorption means comprise a hollow deformable zone (4; 40; 14, 15; 400, 500) constituted by a bellows of the accordion type.

3. Rod according to claim 1, characterized in that as shock absorption means, the end (30) not coated with material is bent and the rod comprises between the curved end and the material a zone bending (40).

4. Rod according to claim 1, characterized in that under the shock absorption means it comprises two bending zones (14, 15) spaced along the rod (11).

5. Rod according to claim 4, characterized in that the two flexion zones are bellows of the accordion type (14, 15).

6. Rod according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the length of the rod between the end (12, 13) coated with material and the bending zone (14, 15) which is the

FIRE.LL. HE" _-. -i -.___. _i- ___... i ___ »» _ • __ •! . I closer is such that the region (llç.) of the rod (11) located between the two bending zones serves as a stop and motion reversing lever in the event of impact on the end of the rod opposite to the material.

7. Rod according to claim 1, characterized in that under the shock absorption means, it comprises two terminal regions (100a, 100b) substantially rectilinear, forming an angle between them and connected by a curved part (100o .

8. A stick according to claim 7, characterized in that the curved part (100c.) Comprises at least one turn.

9. Rod according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the curved part is provided with at least one deformable zone (400, 500).

10. Rod according to claim 10, characterized in that the deformable zone (400, 500) is an expandable bellows of the accordion type.

11. Rod according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the free length of at least one of the terminal regions (100a ,, 100b) adjacent to the material is such that the curved part (100c.) serves as a stop for the insertion of the stick (100).

12. Cotton swab comprising a stick (1, 11, 100) according to one of claims 1 to 11, and a cotton pad (2, 3; 12, 13; 200, 300) in at least one of its ends.

13. Confectionery such as a lollipop or frozen confectionery, comprising food material (20) fixed to one end of a stick (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Confectionery such as lollipop or frozen confectionery according to claim 13, characterized in that the stick portion on which the food material is fixed is rounded at its end.

REPLACEMENT SHEET