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EP2397046B1 - Moulded lip brush - Google Patents

Moulded lip brush Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2397046B1
EP2397046B1 EP11170107.4A EP11170107A EP2397046B1 EP 2397046 B1 EP2397046 B1 EP 2397046B1 EP 11170107 A EP11170107 A EP 11170107A EP 2397046 B1 EP2397046 B1 EP 2397046B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
spatula
bristles
bristle
longitudinal axis
main
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP11170107.4A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2397046A1 (en
Inventor
Karl Hartstock
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Geka GmbH
Original Assignee
Geka GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Geka GmbH filed Critical Geka GmbH
Publication of EP2397046A1 publication Critical patent/EP2397046A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2397046B1 publication Critical patent/EP2397046B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D34/00—Containers or accessories specially adapted for handling liquid toiletry or cosmetic substances, e.g. perfumes
    • A45D34/04—Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball
    • A45D34/042—Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball using a brush or the like
    • A45D34/045—Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball using a brush or the like connected to the cap of the container
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D40/00—Casings or accessories specially adapted for storing or handling solid or pasty toiletry or cosmetic substances, e.g. shaving soaps or lipsticks
    • A45D40/26—Appliances specially adapted for applying pasty paint, e.g. using roller, using a ball
    • A45D40/262—Appliances specially adapted for applying pasty paint, e.g. using roller, using a ball using a brush or the like
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B3/00—Brushes characterised by the way in which the bristles are fixed or joined in or on the brush body or carrier
    • A46B3/005—Bristle carriers and bristles moulded as a unit
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B11/00—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
    • A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
    • A46B2200/1046—Brush used for applying cosmetics

Definitions

  • the drawing "prior art” shows a brush applicator as it is known in the prior art as a cosmetic brush.
  • a brush consists of a tuft of hair or bristles held in a carrier element of more or less length.
  • the invention relates to a cosmetic brush and preferably a brush for applying a lip cosmetic according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • a wide variety of cosmetic brushes are known in the prior art. They are not only used to apply powder, but in many cases also to apply viscous, i.e. H. liquid to pasty or gel-like cosmetics, such as lip gloss.
  • bristles are understood in the context of this description in a broad sense and denotes any fibrous structure that is suitable for forming a brush. These bristles are very flexible in the area of their distal end. However, they are increasingly supporting each other in the proximal direction below their last distal quarter. When the brush is new and under the influence of the cosmetic that tends to adhere to the bristles, they form a kind of "block” that is significantly more rigid than the individual, fine bristles in the area of their distal end. In this way, a brush with a trim of long fine bristles gets its typical application properties, namely a soft brush tip, but a bristle trim that is not too flexible overall.
  • the bristle material may swell, causing the brush to swell overall and thereby impairing its shape and application properties.
  • brushes with a trim made of dense, comparatively long, fine bristles are also not unproblematic because there is always the risk that bacteria are at a distance from the distal end of the fibers, that is to say "inside" the fiber trim that forms the brush can collect and multiply.
  • a cosmetic brush with the features of claim 1.
  • Such a cosmetic brush consists of a handle with the longitudinal axis LH and a brush applicator adjoining the handle.
  • the brush applicator in addition to a fastening section for coupling to the handle, the brush applicator in turn comprises a one-piece, flexible bending element with a longitudinal axis LS.
  • the longitudinal axis is the axis in the direction of the greatest length of the brush applicator and generally corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the handle to which the brush applicator is coupled as intended.
  • the bending element has bristles made from a plurality of bristles molded on in one piece, preferably in 1-component technology, possibly also in 2-component technology, the longitudinal axis LB of which runs parallel to the longitudinal axis LS.
  • Parallelism in the sense of the invention is given if the longitudinal axis LB of the bristles includes an angle of 20 20 ° and preferably of 12 12.5 ° to the longitudinal axis LS.
  • the bristle trim is preferably designed in such a way that, when new, it does not include any non-parallel bristles, ie bristles protruding to the side.
  • the longitudinal axis LS of the bending element and the longitudinal axis LH of the handle which is usually in the form of a brush handle, are also aligned.
  • plastics are preferably used, such as those sold under the Hytrel® or Grilflex® brands or comparable qualities.
  • Hytrel® is the Du-Pont brand for thermoplastic polyester elastomers. These polyester elastomer block copolymers combine many of the best properties of high-performance elastomers and flexible plastics.
  • Grilflex® is a brand of EMS-GRIVORY and stands for high-performance polyamide elastomers from the PEBA group.
  • the bending element can be described in terms of its function as a "bristle replacement element" - if you compare the brush applicator according to the invention with conventional ones Brushes, e.g. B. those that have a comparatively long bristle stock with a free bristle length ⁇ 16 mm, then you can see that the part of the bristles that does not take on an immediate function during application (and in particular the application of a lip cosmetic) due to the monolithic as a rule Bending element is replaced.
  • conventional ones Brushes e.g. B. those that have a comparatively long bristle stock with a free bristle length ⁇ 16 mm
  • the bending element is designed to be elastic in such a way that, at least in one plane, it has a bending flexibility that is comparable to the bending flexibility that the sum of the bristle shafts has in the area in which the bending element replaces these bristle shafts.
  • the bending element therefore has in at least one plane a bending flexibility which can be seen with the naked eye under the influence of the forces occurring during the intended application and which can also be felt tactilely on the main part treated.
  • the bending element is preferably designed in such a way that the longitudinal axis LS of its distal end, which serves as anchoring area for the bristle trim, under the influence of the forces occurring during intended application by at least 0.75 mm and better still by at least 1 mm or even 1.5 mm can be deflected orthogonally from the position that the longitudinal axis LS assumes in the unloaded state.
  • the bending element is nevertheless preferably more resistant to bending by a factor of 10 than a single injection-molded bristle.
  • the bending element is usually made in one piece, that is to say as a one-piece plastic block that is only present once per brush applicator. In principle, two or three such bending elements per brush applicator are also conceivable. However, such a solution is not chosen without necessity.
  • the invention is based on the knowledge that even with a conventional brush of the type mentioned above - in particular when used for the application of a lip cosmetic - the application properties are influenced predominantly by the brush tip are, while up to 75% of the free brush length only serve to achieve the necessary flexibility. With the lip brush in particular, hardly any mass is stored in the depth between the fibers.
  • the novel concept of the invention - the part of the various bristle shafts that no longer has a significant direct effect on application (apart from guaranteeing flexibility) is replaced by the monolithic bending element.
  • the bending element At its distal end, the bending element is provided with short bristles.
  • the bending element is designed so flexibly that the flexibility required for the desired application properties is guaranteed at the level of the brush tip provided by the bristle trim.
  • the length of the bristles is preferably ⁇ 8 mm and ideally ⁇ 6 mm.
  • the maximum bristle diameter is preferably ⁇ 0.075 mm and ideally ⁇ 0.05 mm or even only 0.04 mm.
  • the bristles are i. d. Usually equipped with a round cross section, which can also be replaced by a polygonal cross section. Triangular or quadrangular cross sections are also possible.
  • the bristles preferably taper towards their distal end.
  • the shanks of the bristles only have to provide a fraction of the free length of the brush applicator ("decoupling of the bristle diameter and elasticity of bending of the Brush applicators "), the bristles can in many cases be finer than conventional bristles for brushes with comparatively long bristles.
  • Such a brush applicator offers considerable advantages.
  • the comparatively short bristle stocking is relatively robust and is largely spared immediate buckling of individual bristles or the so-called umbrella effect - even if the individual bristles are very fine. It is precisely for this reason that the brush applicator according to the invention is predestined to be produced by injection molding, although it is still not easy to use injection molding to produce bristles which, in terms of their ability to straighten up and their resistance to buckling, are comparable to brushes made from high-quality, extruded filaments.
  • the only short bristle stock is much less susceptible to contamination, since the bending element is much easier to strip off and has significantly less colonization area than the number of parallel, closely spaced bristle shafts that it replaces.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bending element has at least one weakening which reduces its bending stiffness.
  • Such weakening can be realized in different ways, namely z. B. in the form of transverse notches, which specifically reduce the bending stiffness or in the form of at least one opening, which at times divides the bending element into two or more separate arms that reunite in the distal region, the strength of which determines the bending stiffness.
  • Such weakening is advantageous because it allows the bending element as a whole and therefore also on to make its distal end wider and thus to enlarge the area available for attaching the bristle trim, without at the same time reducing flexibility.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bending element is designed as a tongue that is flexible in one plane.
  • the tongue preferably has a substantially rectangular cross section, the first side length of the rectangular cross section being longer than the perpendicular second side length of the rectangular cross section by more than a factor of 2, ideally even more than a factor of 2.5.
  • the bending element has the desired flexibility in one plane, while in the plane perpendicular to it it is considerably, preferably at least 4 times more rigid, and thus offers good lateral guidance when coating the area of skin to be treated, similar to a flat brush.
  • the cross section of the tongue decreases from the proximal end of the tongue to the distal end of the tongue by more than 10% and preferably by more than 20%, so that the flexibility of the bending element increases towards the distal end.
  • the cosmetic brush is designed in such a way that the bending element is designed as a flat spatula, which has two essentially flat main spatula surfaces, which are located on both sides of the spatula longitudinal axis LS.
  • the main spatula surfaces store a considerable amount of the cosmetic by adhering to their comparatively large surface and can also be used to selectively remove the desired larger amount of cosmetic from the storage container. They therefore allow rational, flat application of the cosmetic to the area of skin to be treated.
  • the delicate drawing of the fine boundary lines, for example the lip contour is accomplished with the brush-like bristle trim on the spatula.
  • This type of further configuration thus gives a 2-in-1 applicator, that is to say an applicator which combines the advantages of the different applicators brush and spatula.
  • the cosmetic brush is designed so that the two main spatula surfaces make up more than 70% of the surface of the spatula.
  • the bristle surface is not part of the surface of the spatula.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed such that the main surface of the spatula is bristle-free.
  • a bristle-free design improves the main surface of the spatula particularly well for a flat application.
  • the main spatula surface is completely smooth, alternatively flocking can also be provided.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the envelope contour of the bending element merges into the envelope contour of the bristle field essentially continuously.
  • An essentially stepless transition exists when between the transverse extent (ie the extension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LS) of the envelope contour of the bending element and the transverse extension of the envelope contour of the bristle field immediately at the transition between the bending element and the bristle field, there is a difference of ⁇ 4 times the maximum bristle diameter and preferably of ⁇ 2 times the maximum bristle diameter .
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the distal end face of the spatula, on which the bristles are anchored, is designed as an arc which extends from one narrow side of the spatula to the other narrow side of the spatula.
  • This arch is preferably designed as a round arch, i. H. its curvature corresponds essentially to a section of a circular arc. Alternatively, another convex curvature can also be provided.
  • Such a bow makes it possible to use bristles of substantially the same length to represent a tongue-shaped, so to speak "pointed” or also ending in a round bristle field, which is particularly advantageous since a brush designed in this way can be applied both with its broad side and with its narrow side can to draw a fine boundary line.
  • the bristles are advantageously injection molded exclusively within the area provided by the arch.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that at least one of the main spatula surfaces has a profile, at least in some areas, the profile preferably consisting of a number of ribs running in the longitudinal direction.
  • profiling increases the mass storage capacity of the main spatula surface in question. If the profiling is not too deep, it does not affect the suitability of the main spatula surface for doing a flat application. Therefore, the profiling makes sense chosen so that the profile depth does not exceed three times and better twice the maximum bristle diameter.
  • the profile depth is understood to mean the distance measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula between the highest and the immediately adjacent lowest point of the profile.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the ribs are aligned with the bristles closest to them, so that the depressions between the ribs open into the spaces between the nearest bristles.
  • the depressions thus form a kind of "channels" for feeding the bristle trimmings with the cosmetic initially adhering to the main spatula surface.
  • the cosmetic brush is designed in such a way that the spatula merges into a booklet on its proximal side, which is followed by a coupling section for attaching the spatula to the handle.
  • the cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bristle field is a flat bristle field whose number of bristles in a first direction is at least 2.5 times larger, or better still, at least 3 times larger than its number of bristles in a second direction perpendicular thereto.
  • the cosmetic brush is designed such that the length of the bending element in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS is at least a factor of 4 greater than the length of the bristles.
  • FIGS. 1a to 1d show a first embodiment of the invention, in which the flexible bending element is formed from a spatula with a completely smooth, self-contained surface.
  • FIGS. 2a to 2d show a second embodiment in which the flexible bending element is provided with a central opening, which increases its flexibility without having to reduce its width.
  • the Figures 3a to 3d show a third embodiment with a first alternative for profiling the flexible bending element.
  • FIGS. 4a to 4d show a fourth embodiment with a second alternative for profiling the flexible bending element.
  • the brush applicator consists of a fastening section 2 which is not or only in connection with the here Figure 1a shown handle with a central axis LH, which will predominantly have the shape of an elongated, slender handle, as is also used for brushes.
  • the brush applicator 1 has a further section, the so-called flexible bending element 3, which replaces part of the length that would otherwise be taken up by the shanks of the bristles becomes.
  • the flexible bending element 3 although this is not mandatory for the invention according to claim 1, forms a spatula to be explained in more detail in the exemplary embodiments and is therefore referred to in the following for the sake of simplicity only as “spatula 3" in many places - although it should actually be correctly called “the flexible bending element 3 in the form of a spatula”.
  • the brush applicator 1 and its spatula 3 have a longitudinal axis LS. As a rule, this corresponds to the longitudinal axis LH of the handle, which serves as a handle and to which the applicator element 1 is attached with the aid of a fastening section 2.
  • the spatula 3 is designed as a flat spatula. It has two opposing, essentially flat main spatula surfaces 4, which represent the applicator surface of the spatula.
  • the main spatula surfaces - as seen in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS - are preferably between 0.8 cm and 2.2 cm long (length 1) and transversely thereto preferably between 0.25 cm and 0.75 cm wide (width b).
  • the thickness of the spatula perpendicular to a main spatula surface is between 0.12 cm and 0.7 cm (thickness d), the thickness decreasing towards the distal end.
  • the spatula is preferably made of an elastic plastic and is designed such that its tip can be displaced perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis LS by bending without permanent deformation of the material or overloading the spatula. In this way, a spatula is obtained which nestles optimally under the influence of the forces that regularly occur during application.
  • the main spatula surfaces 4 are coated with a layer of the cosmetic by immersion in the cosmetic.
  • Each of these main spatula surfaces 4 is designed and positioned such that it can be pulled along the area of skin to be treated with the cosmetic and thereby releases the cosmetic adhering to the area of skin to be treated.
  • the spatula is designed so that its main spatula surfaces make up more than 70% of the wettable surface of the actual spatula (without including the bristle surface), ideally even more than 75%.
  • the main spatula surfaces extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula. For their inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula, 0 ° ⁇ inclination ⁇ 15 ° applies. Ideally, an inclination of at least one of the main spatula surfaces by 2 ° ⁇ inclination ⁇ 5 °.
  • the main spatula surfaces or the applicator surface of the spatula even have a completely smooth surface which has the usual surface roughness only in the microscopic range.
  • Such a bristle-free applicator surface is very well suited for a full-coverage application of the cosmetic.
  • the applicator surface can, however, also be flocked if necessary, the flocking being generally so fine that it is suitable for a covering surface Order of the cosmetics is supported. Possibly. At least one of the main spatula surfaces can have a fine structuring which improves the generous adherence of the cosmetic, which corresponds to the above definition, that is to say is not too coarse, and which, as a variant in the form of a local pattern of fine pyramids, is exemplary of that Fig. 1d will be shown.
  • the spatula has two narrow surfaces 5, which are also opposite one another, and an end surface 6 on its distal end facing away from the handle.
  • the end face 6 connects the two narrow surfaces 5.
  • the two main spatula surfaces 4 and the narrow surfaces 5 end in a circumferential booklet 10, which is not only intended for support, but with its perpendicular to the main spatula surfaces more than 1.25 mm
  • Edge surfaces rising towards the longitudinal axis also serve to prevent the cosmetic load on the main spatula surfaces from being pressed away early in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS) towards the stem during the application, instead of being pulled onto the area of skin to be treated.
  • the main spatula surfaces become significantly narrower and therefore offer an area with which the cosmetic can be applied with increased selectivity at the border between the skin area to be treated and a skin area not to be treated.
  • this is achieved in that the end face 6 is convexly curved — preferably continuously — in the direction from one narrow face to the other narrow face.
  • each of the main spatula surfaces has an arcuate edge 8 at its distal end, which merges into the rectilinear side edges 9.
  • the main spatula surfaces 4 thus become narrower towards their distal end.
  • This arc-shaped edge makes it possible to form the bristle field, which is to be described in greater detail below, from a number of bristles which are each essentially of the same length and thus at least similarly flexible, and yet to give the bristle field an arc-shaped outer contour at its distal end - preferably an outer contour in which the "tongue-like narrowing" of the main spatula recurs.
  • the end face 6 carries a set of bristles 7 molded onto the spatula.
  • the bristles preferably each have a conical shape.
  • the bristle field extends essentially over the entire width b, which the main spatula surfaces 4 have at their distal end, i. H. at the transition to the bristle field.
  • the bristle field is preferably made up of several rows and then consists of at least two or better three to five rows next to each other, each consisting of 6 to 18 bristles in a row. Adjacent rows of bristles are preferably designed with a repeat that is selected such that a bristle of a first row is located centrally at the level of the bristle space between two bristles of the adjacent row.
  • the length bl of the bristles is preferably between 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm, the maximum bristle diameter (measured in the undisturbed bristle area, ie outside the possibly rounded, rounded or throaty bristle root area) is preferably between 0.15 mm and 0.45 mm.
  • the length of the bristles is preferably chosen so that the outermost distal edge of the bristle field is curved and is convexly curved outwards.
  • At least one row of bristles arranged in the middle region, ie surrounded on two sides by an adjacent row of bristles, preferably consists (in FIGS Fig. 2 not shown) made of bristles that are 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm longer than the two immediately adjacent rows of bristles, so that the bristle ends of the said row of bristles located in the center region protrude beyond the remaining bristle ends of the bristle field.
  • a bristle field which, on the one hand, forms an increased storage capacity for the cosmetic and whose bristles are effectively supported against one another in their foot region, but which, on the other hand, offers the possibility of drawing a very fine line by using only the tips of the bristle field be brought into contact with the area of skin to be treated.
  • the bristle geometry and the plastic from which the bristles are made are preferably matched to one another in such a way that the center line of the bristle ends can be bent several times under the influence of the forces occurring during application into a position which is inclined by at least 60 ° to the longitudinal axis LS is without the bristles losing the ability to return to their undisturbed starting position.
  • the 2 a to 2d show a second embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention.
  • the design of the second embodiment corresponds exactly to the first embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for that also applies without restriction to the second embodiment.
  • the spatula 3 is provided with an opening 12 which extends through both main spatula surfaces 4.
  • the main spatula surfaces 4 thus both have a “hole” that extends through the entire spatula.
  • the opening 12 preferably has an elongated clear cross section, ie a cross section whose maximum extension in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS) is at least three times larger than in its direction perpendicular to it.
  • the opening has a cigar-shaped clear cross section. This breakthrough retains a considerable amount of cosmetic mass when the spatula is pulled out of the cosmetic supply and thus forms a store for the cosmetic mass.
  • the clear cross section of the breakthrough and the flexibility of the spatula are matched to the rheology of the cosmetic mass to be applied with the spatula in such a way that the cosmetic mass stored in the breakthrough is pressed out of the breakthrough and released again at the moment when the spatula is in the Deformed as intended during the application.
  • the 3 a to 3d show a third embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention.
  • the embodiment of the third embodiment corresponds exactly to the first embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for that also applies without restriction to the third embodiment.
  • the main spatula surfaces 4 do not have a completely smooth surface, but a profiling which increases the adherence of the cosmetic to the main spatula surface 4 and in this way forms a memory.
  • the profiling is preferably carried out in the form of a plurality of grooves 13, the respective central axis of which runs in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS, possibly below the slight inclination which the main spatula surfaces 4 themselves have with respect to the longitudinal axis LS.
  • Preferably 2 to 10 channels are provided.
  • the channels preferably have a small depth, which is in the order of magnitude of 0.75 to 3 times the maximum bristle diameter.
  • the width of the channels is preferably in the range from 1 to 3 times the maximum bristle diameter. In the Fig. 3 the width is about 1.5 times the maximum bristle diameter.
  • the channels cut the distal edge of the respective main spatula surface and are thus open to the bristle field. This supports the re-delivery of the cosmetic product initially stored in the grooves during the course of the application.
  • three parallel channels are provided, the depth of which is in each case less than the maximum bristle diameter and the width of which is greater than the simple maximum bristle diameter and less than twice the maximum bristle diameter.
  • the 4 a to 4d show a fourth embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention.
  • the design of the fourth embodiment corresponds exactly to the first and at the same time to the third embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for those also applies without restriction to the fourth exemplary embodiment.
  • each of the channels is aligned with the bristle closest to it, so that the cosmetic stored in the channels is fed directly to the bristle adjoining the channel in the distal direction when it leaves the channel.

Landscapes

  • Brushes (AREA)

Description

Die Zeichnung "Stand der Technik" zeigt einen Pinselapplikator, wie er im Stand der Technik als Kosmetikpinsel bekannt ist. Ein solcher Pinsel besteht aus einem in einem mehr oder minder langen, in einem Trägerelement gehaltenen Haar- bzw. Borstenbüschel.The drawing "prior art" shows a brush applicator as it is known in the prior art as a cosmetic brush. Such a brush consists of a tuft of hair or bristles held in a carrier element of more or less length.

Die Erfindung betrifft einen Kosmetikpinsel und vorzugsweise einen Pinsel zum Auftrag eines Lippenkosmetikums nach dem Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1.The invention relates to a cosmetic brush and preferably a brush for applying a lip cosmetic according to the preamble of claim 1.

Kosmetikpinsel sind im Stand der Technik in großer Variantenvielfalt bekannt. Sie dienen nicht nur zum Auftragen von Puder, sondern vielfach auch zum Auftragen von viskosen, d. h. flüssigen bis pastösen oder gelartigen Kosmetika, wie etwa Lipgloss.A wide variety of cosmetic brushes are known in the prior art. They are not only used to apply powder, but in many cases also to apply viscous, i.e. H. liquid to pasty or gel-like cosmetics, such as lip gloss.

Je nach Anwendungszweck besitzen solche Pinselapplikatoren eine dicht stehende Anzahl feiner, vergleichsweise langer Borsten. Dabei wird der Begriff "Borsten" im Rahmen dieser Beschreibung in einem weiten Sinne verstanden und bezeichnet jegliche faserartigen Gebilde, die geeignet sind, um einen Pinsel auszubilden. Diese Borsten sind im Bereich ihres distalen Endes sehr flexibel. Sie stützen sich aber etwa unterhalb ihres letzen distalen Viertels in proximaler Richtung immer mehr gegeneinander ab. Sie bilden im Neuzustand des Pinsels und unter dem Einfluss des die Borsten tendenziell miteinander verklebenden Kosmetikums eine Art "Block", der deutlich biegesteifer ist als die einzelnen, feinen Borsten im Bereich ihres distalen Endes. Auf diese Art und Weise erhält ein Pinsel mit einem Besatz aus langen feinen Borsten seine typischen Applikationseigenschaften, nämlich eine weiche Pinselspitze, aber einen dennoch insgesamt nicht zu biegeweichen Borstenbesatz.Depending on the application, such brush applicators have a dense number of fine, comparatively long bristles. The term "bristles" is understood in the context of this description in a broad sense and denotes any fibrous structure that is suitable for forming a brush. These bristles are very flexible in the area of their distal end. However, they are increasingly supporting each other in the proximal direction below their last distal quarter. When the brush is new and under the influence of the cosmetic that tends to adhere to the bristles, they form a kind of "block" that is significantly more rigid than the individual, fine bristles in the area of their distal end. In this way, a brush with a trim of long fine bristles gets its typical application properties, namely a soft brush tip, but a bristle trim that is not too flexible overall.

Bei längerem Gebrauch kann es auch bei sorgfältiger Materialauswahl zu einem Quellen des Borstenmaterials kommen, was den Pinsel insgesamt aufquellen lässt und dadurch seine Gestalt und seine Applikationseigenschaften beeinträchtigt.With prolonged use, even with careful material selection, the bristle material may swell, causing the brush to swell overall and thereby impairing its shape and application properties.

Außerdem ist es gerade bei Pinseln aus langen feinen Borsten fast unvermeidlich, dass einzelne Borsten beim Wiedereinführen des Pinsels durch den engen Flaschenhals bzw. Abstreifer hindurch seitlich hängen bleiben und dadurch dauerhaft umgebogen werden, also künftig seitlich abstehen. Selbst wenn es nicht zum völligen Ausknicken einzelner Borsten kommt, besteht gerade bei Pinseln aus langen, feinen Borsten immer die Gefahr, dass sich mit der Zeit ein gewisser "Regenschirmeffekt" einstellt, nämlich ein gewisses Aufspreizen des Bostenbesatzes.In addition, especially with brushes made of long, fine bristles, it is almost inevitable that individual bristles will get stuck laterally when the brush is reinserted through the narrow bottle neck or scraper and thus be bent over permanently, meaning that they will protrude laterally in the future. Even if individual bristles do not completely buckle, there is always the risk, especially with brushes made of long, fine bristles, that a certain "umbrella effect" occurs over time, namely a certain spreading of the bristle trimmings.

Schließlich sind Pinsel mit einem Besatz aus dicht stehenden, vergleichsweise langen, feinen Borsten auch deswegen nicht unproblematisch, weil stets die Gefahr besteht, dass sich in einigem Abstand zum distalen Ende der Fasern, also sozusagen "im Inneren" des den Pinsel bildenden Faserbesatzes, Bakterien sammeln und vermehren können.After all, brushes with a trim made of dense, comparatively long, fine bristles are also not unproblematic because there is always the risk that bacteria are at a distance from the distal end of the fibers, that is to say "inside" the fiber trim that forms the brush can collect and multiply.

Um diesem Problem abzuhelfen, ist in der Praxis bereits mehrfach vorgeschlagen worden, den pinselartigen Teil durch einen "monolithischen" Körper aus einem biegeweichen Kunststoff- oder Elastomermaterial zu ersetzen, dessen Außenkontur in etwa die Außenkontur eines Pinsels besitzt. Dabei ist vorgesehen, diesen zunächst eine glatte, in sich geschlossene Oberfläche aufweisenden Kunststoffkörper zu beflocken, um ihm so ein besseres Massespeichervermögen zu verleihen. Ein derart aufgebauter "Pinselapplikator" ist zwar sehr formbeständig, zeigt aber dennoch kein wirklich befriedigendes Massespeichervermögen. Außerdem ist die Spitze eines solchen Pinselapplikators deutlich härter als die Spitze eines mit einer Anzahl feiner, vergleichsweise langer Borsten besetzten Pinselapplikators.In order to remedy this problem, it has been proposed several times in practice to replace the brush-like part with a "monolithic" body made of a flexible plastic or elastomer material, the outer contour of which has approximately the outer contour of a brush. It is provided that the surface is initially smooth and self-contained flocking plastic body to give it better mass storage capacity. A "brush applicator" constructed in this way is very stable in shape, but nevertheless does not show a really satisfactory mass storage capacity. In addition, the tip of such a brush applicator is significantly harder than the tip of a brush applicator with a number of fine, comparatively long bristles.

Schließlich sind die herkömmlichen Pinselapplikatoren vergleichsweise teuer in der Herstellung.Finally, the conventional brush applicators are comparatively expensive to manufacture.

Aus der britischen Patentanmeldung GB 2 159 699 A ist ein Applikator für die Applikation von Kosmetikprodukten bekannt, der einen länglichen Griff aufweist, an den unter Zwischenschaltung eines sich auf kurzem Weg sehr stark verjüngenden Keilabschnitts eine Anzahl Borsten oder Zähne integral angespritzt sind, die sich in axialer Richtung von einem Ende des Griffs weg erstrecken.From the British patent application GB 2 159 699 A an applicator for the application of cosmetic products is known which has an elongated handle, onto which a number of bristles or teeth are integrally molded, with the interposition of a wedge section that tapers very sharply over a short distance, which extend in the axial direction away from one end of the handle .

Demgegenüber ist es die Aufgabe der Erfindung, einen Pinselapplikator zu schaffen, der langfristig formstabil ist, der ein gutes Massespeichervermögen bietet und der einen eine konturengenaue Applikation ermöglichenden Spitzenbereich aufweist.In contrast, it is the object of the invention to provide a brush applicator which is dimensionally stable in the long term, which has good mass storage capacity and which has a tip area which enables application with precise contours.

Die Lösung dieser Aufgabe erfolgt durch einen Kosmetikpinsel mit den Merkmalen des Anspruchs 1. Ein solcher Kosmetikpinsel besteht aus einer Handhabe mit der Längsachse LH und einem sich an die Handhabe anschließenden Pinselapplikator. Der Pinselapplikator umfasst seinerseits neben einem Befestigungsabschnitt zum Ankuppeln an die Handhabe ein im Regelfall einteiliges, flexibles Biegeelement mit einer Längsachse LS. Die Längsachse ist dabei die Achse in Richtung der größten Länge des Pinselapplikators und entspricht i. d. R. der Längsachse der Handhabe, an die der Pinselapplikator bestimmungsgemäß angekuppelt wird. Das Biegelement weist an seinem distalen Ende einen Borstenbesatz aus einer Mehrzahl einstückig, vorzugsweise in 1-K-Technologie, ggf. auch in 2-K-Technologie angespritzter Borsten auf, deren Längsachse LB parallel zur Längsachse LS verläuft. Parallelität im Sinne der Erfindung ist gegeben, wenn die Längsachse LB der Borsten einen Winkel von ≤ 20° und bevorzugter Weise von ≤ 12,5° zur Längsachse LS einschließt. Idealerweise ist bis auf toleranzbedingte Abweichungen von ≤ 5° völlige Parallelität gegeben. Um die Auftragseigenschaften eines konventionellen Pinsels zu erzielen, ist der Borstenbesatz vorzugsweise so gestaltet, dass er im Neuzustand keine nicht-parallelen, d. h. störend zur Seite abstehenden Borsten umfasst. Im Normalfall fluchten auch die Längsachse LS des Biegeelementes und die Längsachse LH der meist pinselstielartigen Handhabe.This object is achieved by a cosmetic brush with the features of claim 1. Such a cosmetic brush consists of a handle with the longitudinal axis LH and a brush applicator adjoining the handle. In addition to a fastening section for coupling to the handle, the brush applicator in turn comprises a one-piece, flexible bending element with a longitudinal axis LS. The The longitudinal axis is the axis in the direction of the greatest length of the brush applicator and generally corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the handle to which the brush applicator is coupled as intended. At its distal end, the bending element has bristles made from a plurality of bristles molded on in one piece, preferably in 1-component technology, possibly also in 2-component technology, the longitudinal axis LB of which runs parallel to the longitudinal axis LS. Parallelism in the sense of the invention is given if the longitudinal axis LB of the bristles includes an angle of 20 20 ° and preferably of 12 12.5 ° to the longitudinal axis LS. Ideally, there is complete parallelism apart from tolerance-related deviations of ≤ 5 °. In order to achieve the application properties of a conventional brush, the bristle trim is preferably designed in such a way that, when new, it does not include any non-parallel bristles, ie bristles protruding to the side. In the normal case, the longitudinal axis LS of the bending element and the longitudinal axis LH of the handle, which is usually in the form of a brush handle, are also aligned.

Als Material für das Biegeelement und vorzugsweise auch für die Borsten werden vorzugsweise Kunststoffe verwendet, wie sie unter den Marken Hytrel® bzw. Grilflex® im Handel sind oder vergleichbare Qualitäten. Hytrel® ist die Marke der Firma Du-Pont für thermoplastische Polyesterelastomere. Diese Polyesterelastomer-Blockcopolymere kombinieren viele der besten Eigenschaften von Hochleistungs-Elastomeren und flexiblen Kunststoffen. Grilflex® ist eine Marke der Firma EMS-GRIVORY und steht für Polyamid Hochleistungs-Elastomere aus der Gruppe der PEBA.As the material for the bending element and preferably also for the bristles, plastics are preferably used, such as those sold under the Hytrel® or Grilflex® brands or comparable qualities. Hytrel® is the Du-Pont brand for thermoplastic polyester elastomers. These polyester elastomer block copolymers combine many of the best properties of high-performance elastomers and flexible plastics. Grilflex® is a brand of EMS-GRIVORY and stands for high-performance polyamide elastomers from the PEBA group.

Das Biegeelement kann man von seiner Funktion her schlagwortartig als "Borstenersatzelement" bezeichnen - vergleicht man den erfindungsgemäßen Pinselapplikator mit konventionellen Pinseln, z. B. solchen, die einen vergleichsweise langen Borstenbesatz mit einer freien Borstenlänge ≥ 16 mm aufweisen, dann erkennt man, dass der Teil der Borsten, der bei der Applikation (und insbesondere der Applikation eines Lippenkosmetikums) keine unmittelbare Funktion übernimmt, durch das im Regelfall monolithische Biegeelement ersetzt wird. Dabei wird das Biegeelement derart elastisch ausgebildet, dass es zumindest in einer Ebene eine Biegeflexibilität aufweist, die mit der Biegeflexibilität vergleichbar ist, die die Summe der Borstenschäfte in dem Bereich aufweist, in dem das Biegeelement diese Borstenschäfte ersetzt. Das Biegeelement weist also in zumindest einer Ebene eine unter dem Einfluss der bei bestimmungsgemäßer Applikation auftretenden Kräfte mit bloßem Auge erkennbare und auch an der behandelten Hauptpartie taktil spürbare Biegeflexibilität auf. Vorzugsweise ist das Biegeelement so ausgestaltet, dass sich die Längsachse LS seines distalen, als Verankerungsbereich für den Borstenbesatz dienendes Ende unter dem Einfluss der bei bestimmungsgemäßer Applikation auftretenden Kräfte um mindestens 0,75 mm und besser noch um mindestens 1 mm bzw. sogar 1,5 mm orthogonal aus derjenigen Position ablenken lässt, die die Längsachse LS im unbelasteten Zustand einnimmt. Das Biegeelement ist dennoch vorzugsweise um mindestens den Faktor 10 biegesteifer als eine einzelne spritzgegossene Borste. Das Biegeelement ist im Regelfall einstückig ausgeführt, d. h. als einstückiger und pro Pinselapplikator auch nur einmal vorhandener Kunststoffblock. Im Prinzip sind auch zwei oder drei derartige Biegeelemente pro Pinselapplikator denkbar. Eine derartige Lösung wird jedoch nicht ohne Not gewählt.The bending element can be described in terms of its function as a "bristle replacement element" - if you compare the brush applicator according to the invention with conventional ones Brushes, e.g. B. those that have a comparatively long bristle stock with a free bristle length ≥ 16 mm, then you can see that the part of the bristles that does not take on an immediate function during application (and in particular the application of a lip cosmetic) due to the monolithic as a rule Bending element is replaced. The bending element is designed to be elastic in such a way that, at least in one plane, it has a bending flexibility that is comparable to the bending flexibility that the sum of the bristle shafts has in the area in which the bending element replaces these bristle shafts. The bending element therefore has in at least one plane a bending flexibility which can be seen with the naked eye under the influence of the forces occurring during the intended application and which can also be felt tactilely on the main part treated. The bending element is preferably designed in such a way that the longitudinal axis LS of its distal end, which serves as anchoring area for the bristle trim, under the influence of the forces occurring during intended application by at least 0.75 mm and better still by at least 1 mm or even 1.5 mm can be deflected orthogonally from the position that the longitudinal axis LS assumes in the unloaded state. The bending element is nevertheless preferably more resistant to bending by a factor of 10 than a single injection-molded bristle. The bending element is usually made in one piece, that is to say as a one-piece plastic block that is only present once per brush applicator. In principle, two or three such bending elements per brush applicator are also conceivable. However, such a solution is not chosen without necessity.

Der Erfindung liegt die Erkenntnis zu Grunde, dass auch bei einem konventionellen Pinsel der o. g. Art - insbesondere bei der Verwendung für die Applikation eines Lippenkosmetikums - die Auftragseigenschaften überwiegend von der Pinselspitze beeinflusst werden, während bis zu 75% der freien Pinsellänge nur dazu dienen, die nötige Flexibilität zu erreichen. Insbesondere beim Lippenpinsel wird in der Tiefe zwischen den Fasern kaum Masse gespeichert.The invention is based on the knowledge that even with a conventional brush of the type mentioned above - in particular when used for the application of a lip cosmetic - the application properties are influenced predominantly by the brush tip are, while up to 75% of the free brush length only serve to achieve the necessary flexibility. With the lip brush in particular, hardly any mass is stored in the depth between the fibers.

Diese Erkenntnis wird durch das neuartige Konzept der Erfindung umgesetzt - der Teil der diversen Borstenschäfte, der bei der Applikation (abgesehen von der Flexibilitätsgewährleistung) keine wesentliche unmittelbare Wirkung mehr entfaltet, wird durch das monolithische Biegeelement ersetzt. An seinem distalen Ende wird das Biegeelement mit einem Besatz aus kurzen Borsten versehen. Das Biegeelement wird dabei so flexibel gestaltet, dass die für die gewünschten Applikationseigenschaften erforderliche Flexibilität auf der Höhe der durch den Borstenbesatz bereitgestellten Pinselspitze gewährleistet ist.This finding is implemented by the novel concept of the invention - the part of the various bristle shafts that no longer has a significant direct effect on application (apart from guaranteeing flexibility) is replaced by the monolithic bending element. At its distal end, the bending element is provided with short bristles. The bending element is designed so flexibly that the flexibility required for the desired application properties is guaranteed at the level of the brush tip provided by the bristle trim.

Bevorzugte Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten des erfindungsgemäßen Kosmetikpinsels beschreiben die Ansprüche 2 bis 9.Preferred further development possibilities of the cosmetic brush according to the invention are described in claims 2 to 9.

Die Länge der Borsten ist vorzugsweise ≤ 8 mm und idealerweise ≤ 6 mm. Der maximale Borstendurchmesser ist vorzugsweise ≤ 0,075 mm und idealerweise ≤ 0,05 mm bzw. sogar nur 0,04 mm.The length of the bristles is preferably ≤ 8 mm and ideally ≤ 6 mm. The maximum bristle diameter is preferably ≤ 0.075 mm and ideally ≤ 0.05 mm or even only 0.04 mm.

Die Borsten sind i. d. R. mit einem runden Querschnitt ausgestattet, der jedoch gut auch durch einen polygonalen Querschnitt ersetzt werden kann. Auch drei- oder viereckige Querschnitte sind möglich. Vorzugsweise verjüngen sich die Borsten zu ihrem distalen Ende hin.The bristles are i. d. Usually equipped with a round cross section, which can also be replaced by a polygonal cross section. Triangular or quadrangular cross sections are also possible. The bristles preferably taper towards their distal end.

Dadurch, dass die Schäfte der Borsten nur noch einen Bruchteil der freien Länge des Pinselapplikators bereitstellen müssen ("Entkoppelung von Borstendurchmesser und Biegeelatizität des Pinselapplikators"), können die Borsten in vielen Fällen feiner sein als konventionelle Borsten für Pinsel mit vergleichsweise langen Borsten.The fact that the shanks of the bristles only have to provide a fraction of the free length of the brush applicator ("decoupling of the bristle diameter and elasticity of bending of the Brush applicators "), the bristles can in many cases be finer than conventional bristles for brushes with comparatively long bristles.

Ein derartiger Pinselapplikator bietet erhebliche Vorteile. Der vergleichsweise kurze Borstenbesatz ist relativ robust und bleibt weitgehend von einem alsbaldigen Ausknicken einzelner Borsten oder dem sog. Regenschirmeffekt verschont - auch dann, wenn die einzelnen Borsten sehr fein sind. Gerade deshalb ist der erfindungsgemäße Pinselapplikator dafür prädestiniert, durch Spritzguss hergestellt zu werden, obwohl es nach wie vor nicht einfach ist, im Spritzguss Borsten herzustellen, die in Bezug auf ihr Wiederaufrichtvermögen und ihre Resistenz gegen Ausknicken mit Pinseln aus hochwertigen, extrudierten Filamenten vergleichbar sind. Zudem ist der nur kurze Borstenbesatz wesentlich weniger verkeimungsanfällig, da sich das Biegeelement wesentlich besser abstreifen lässt und wesentlich weniger Besiedelungsfläche besitzt als die Anzahl paralleler eng beieinander liegender Borstenschäfte, die es ersetzt.Such a brush applicator offers considerable advantages. The comparatively short bristle stocking is relatively robust and is largely spared immediate buckling of individual bristles or the so-called umbrella effect - even if the individual bristles are very fine. It is precisely for this reason that the brush applicator according to the invention is predestined to be produced by injection molding, although it is still not easy to use injection molding to produce bristles which, in terms of their ability to straighten up and their resistance to buckling, are comparable to brushes made from high-quality, extruded filaments. In addition, the only short bristle stock is much less susceptible to contamination, since the bending element is much easier to strip off and has significantly less colonization area than the number of parallel, closely spaced bristle shafts that it replaces.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass das Biegeelement mindestens eine Schwächung aufweist, die seine Biegesteifigkeit herabsetzt.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bending element has at least one weakening which reduces its bending stiffness.

Eine solche Schwächung kann in unterschiedlicher Art und Weise realisiert werden, nämlich z. B. in Gestalt von Querkerben, die die Biegesteifigkeit gezielt herabsetzen oder in Gestalt mindestens eines Durchbruchs, der das Biegeelement streckenweise in zwei oder mehrere getrennte, sich im distalen Bereich wieder vereinende Arme aufteilt, deren Stärke die Biegesteifigkeit bestimmt. Eine solche Schwächung ist vorteilhaft, weil sie es erlaubt, das Biegeelement insgesamt und damit auch an seinem distalen Ende breiter auszugestalten und so die zur Anbringung des Borstenbesatzes zur Verfügung stehende Fläche zu vergrößern, ohne hierdurch zugleich die Flexibilität herabzusetzen.Such weakening can be realized in different ways, namely z. B. in the form of transverse notches, which specifically reduce the bending stiffness or in the form of at least one opening, which at times divides the bending element into two or more separate arms that reunite in the distal region, the strength of which determines the bending stiffness. Such weakening is advantageous because it allows the bending element as a whole and therefore also on to make its distal end wider and thus to enlarge the area available for attaching the bristle trim, without at the same time reducing flexibility.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass das Biegeelement als in einer Ebene flexible Zunge ausgestaltet ist.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bending element is designed as a tongue that is flexible in one plane.

Vorzugsweise weist die Zunge einen im Wesentlichen rechteckigen Querschnitt auf, wobei die erste Seitenlänge des rechteckigen Querschnitts um mehr als den Faktor 2, idealerweise sogar mehr als den Faktor 2,5 länger ist als die dazu senkrechte zweite Seitenlänge des rechteckigen Querschnitts. Auf diese Art und Weise ist sichergestellt, dass das Biegeelement in einer Ebene die gewünschte Flexibilität aufweist, während es in der dazu senkrechten Ebene erheblich, vorzugsweise mindestens 4-fach biegesteifer ist und somit beim Bestreichen der zu behandelnden Hautpartie eine gute Seitenführung bietet, ähnlich wie ein Flachpinsel. Darüber hinaus ist es vorteilhaft, wenn sich der Querschnitt der Zunge vom proximalen Ende der Zunge zum distalen Ende der Zunge hin um mehr als 10 % und vorzugsweise um mehr als 20% verringert, so dass die Flexibilität des Biegeelements zum distalen Ende hin zunimmt.The tongue preferably has a substantially rectangular cross section, the first side length of the rectangular cross section being longer than the perpendicular second side length of the rectangular cross section by more than a factor of 2, ideally even more than a factor of 2.5. In this way it is ensured that the bending element has the desired flexibility in one plane, while in the plane perpendicular to it it is considerably, preferably at least 4 times more rigid, and thus offers good lateral guidance when coating the area of skin to be treated, similar to a flat brush. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the cross section of the tongue decreases from the proximal end of the tongue to the distal end of the tongue by more than 10% and preferably by more than 20%, so that the flexibility of the bending element increases towards the distal end.

Der Kosmetikpinsel ist so gestaltet, dass das Biegeelement als Flachspatel ausgestaltet ist, der zwei sich beidseitig der Spatellängsachse LS gegenüberliegende, im Wesentlichen ebene Spatelhauptflächen aufweist.The cosmetic brush is designed in such a way that the bending element is designed as a flat spatula, which has two essentially flat main spatula surfaces, which are located on both sides of the spatula longitudinal axis LS.

Die Spatelhauptflächen speichern durch Anhaftung an ihrer vergleichsweise großen Oberfläche eine beachtliche Menge des Kosmetikums und können darüber hinaus dazu eingesetzt werden, um dem Vorratsbehälter gezielt die gewünschte größere Menge Kosmetikum zu entnehmen. Sie erlauben daher einen rationellen, flächigen Auftrag des Kosmetikums auf die zu behandelnde Hautpartie. Dabei wirkt sich sehr positiv aus, dass das den Flachspatel bildende Biegeelement so elastisch ist, dass sich die betreffende Spatelhauptfläche aufgrund der ihr aufgezwungenen Biegung gut an die zu behandelnde Hautpartie anschmiegen kann. Das feinfühlige Ziehen der feinen Begrenzungslinien, beispielsweise der Lippenkontur, wird mit dem pinselartigen Borstenbesatz des Spatels bewerkstelligt. Man erhält also durch diese Art der weiteren Ausgestaltung einen 2-in-1-Applikator, also einen Applikator, der die Vorteile der unterschiedlichen Auftragsgeräte Pinsel und Spatel in sich vereint.The main spatula surfaces store a considerable amount of the cosmetic by adhering to their comparatively large surface and can also be used to selectively remove the desired larger amount of cosmetic from the storage container. They therefore allow rational, flat application of the cosmetic to the area of skin to be treated. This has a very positive effect that the bending element forming the flat spatula is so elastic that the main spatula surface in question can nestle well against the skin area to be treated due to the bending that is forced on it. The delicate drawing of the fine boundary lines, for example the lip contour, is accomplished with the brush-like bristle trim on the spatula. This type of further configuration thus gives a 2-in-1 applicator, that is to say an applicator which combines the advantages of the different applicators brush and spatula.

Der Kosmetikpinsel ist so gestaltet, dass die beiden Spatelhauptflächen mehr als 70% der Oberfläche des Spatels ausmachen. Dabei zählt die Borstenoberfläche nicht zur Oberfläche des Spatels.The cosmetic brush is designed so that the two main spatula surfaces make up more than 70% of the surface of the spatula. The bristle surface is not part of the surface of the spatula.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass die Spatelhauptfläche borstenfrei ist.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed such that the main surface of the spatula is bristle-free.

Eine borstenfreie Ausgestaltung ertüchtigt die Spatelhauptfläche besonders gut zu einem flächigen Auftrag. Idealerweise ist die Spatelhauptfläche vollständig glatt, alternativ kann auch eine Beflockung vorgesehen sein.A bristle-free design improves the main surface of the spatula particularly well for a flat application. Ideally, the main spatula surface is completely smooth, alternatively flocking can also be provided.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass die Hüllkontur des Biegeelements im Wesentlichen stufenlos in die Hüllkontur des Borstenfeldes übergeht. Ein im Wesentlichen stufenloser Übergang liegt vor, wenn zwischen der Quererstreckung (d. h. der Erstreckung senkrecht zur Längsachse LS) der Hüllkontur des Biegeelements und der Quererstreckung der Hüllkontur des Borstenfeldes unmittelbar am Übergang zwischen dem Biegeelement und dem Borstenfeld eine Differenz von ≤ dem 4-fachen maximalen Borstendurchmesser und vorzugsweise von ≤ dem 2-fachen maximalen Borstendurchmesser besteht.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the envelope contour of the bending element merges into the envelope contour of the bristle field essentially continuously. An essentially stepless transition exists when between the transverse extent (ie the extension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LS) of the envelope contour of the bending element and the transverse extension of the envelope contour of the bristle field immediately at the transition between the bending element and the bristle field, there is a difference of ≤ 4 times the maximum bristle diameter and preferably of ≤ 2 times the maximum bristle diameter .

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass die distale Stirnfläche des Spatels, an der die Borsten verankert sind, als Bogen ausgebildet ist, der sich von einer Schmalseite des Spatels zur anderen Schmalseite des Spatels erstreckt. Dieser Bogen ist vorzugsweise als Rundbogen ausgebildet, d. h. seine Krümmung entspricht im Wesentlichen einem Kreisbogenabschnitt. Alternativ kann aber auch eine anderweitige, konvexe Krümmung vorgesehen sein. Ein solcher Bogen erlaubt es, mit im Wesentlichen gleich langen Borsten ein zungenförmiges, sozusagen "angespitztes" bzw. ebenfalls in einer Rundung endendes Borstenfeld darzustellen, was besonders vorteilhaft ist, da ein derart ausgestalteter Pinsel sowohl mit seiner Breitseite als auch mit seiner Schmalseite angesetzt werden kann, um eine feine Begrenzungslinie zu ziehen. Vorteilhafterweise sind die Borsten ausschließlich innerhalb der von dem Bogen bereitgestellten Fläche angespritzt.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the distal end face of the spatula, on which the bristles are anchored, is designed as an arc which extends from one narrow side of the spatula to the other narrow side of the spatula. This arch is preferably designed as a round arch, i. H. its curvature corresponds essentially to a section of a circular arc. Alternatively, another convex curvature can also be provided. Such a bow makes it possible to use bristles of substantially the same length to represent a tongue-shaped, so to speak "pointed" or also ending in a round bristle field, which is particularly advantageous since a brush designed in this way can be applied both with its broad side and with its narrow side can to draw a fine boundary line. The bristles are advantageously injection molded exclusively within the area provided by the arch.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass zumindest eine der Spatelhauptflächen zumindest bereichsweise eine Profilierung aufweist, wobei die Profilierung vorzugsweise aus einer Anzahl von in Längsrichtung verlaufenden Rippen besteht. Eine solche Profilierung erhöht das Massespeichervermögen der betreffenden Spatelhauptfläche. Sofern die Profilierung nicht zu tief ausgeführt ist, beeinträchtigt sie die Eignung der Spatelhauptfläche, hiermit einen flächigen Auftrag zu bewerkstelligen, nicht. Sinnvollerweise ist die Profilierung daher so gewählt, dass die Profiltiefe das Dreifache und besser das Doppelte des maximalen Borstendurchmessers nicht überschreitet. Unter der Profiltiefe wird dabei der senkrecht zur Spatellängsachse LS gemessene Abstand zwischen der höchsten und der unmittelbar benachbarten tiefsten Stelle der Profilierung verstanden.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that at least one of the main spatula surfaces has a profile, at least in some areas, the profile preferably consisting of a number of ribs running in the longitudinal direction. Such profiling increases the mass storage capacity of the main spatula surface in question. If the profiling is not too deep, it does not affect the suitability of the main spatula surface for doing a flat application. Therefore, the profiling makes sense chosen so that the profile depth does not exceed three times and better twice the maximum bristle diameter. The profile depth is understood to mean the distance measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula between the highest and the immediately adjacent lowest point of the profile.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass die Rippen jeweils mit den ihnen am nächsten liegenden Borsten fluchten, so dass die Vertiefungen zwischen den Rippen in die Zwischenräume zwischen den nächstliegenden Borsten münden.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the ribs are aligned with the bristles closest to them, so that the depressions between the ribs open into the spaces between the nearest bristles.

Die Vertiefungen bilden somit eine Art "Kanäle" zur Speisung des Borstenbesatzes mit dem zunächst an der Spatelhauptfläche anhaftenden Kosmetikum.The depressions thus form a kind of "channels" for feeding the bristle trimmings with the cosmetic initially adhering to the main spatula surface.

Der Kosmetikpinsel ist so gestaltet, dass der Spatel auf seiner proximalen Seite in ein Heft übergeht, an das sich ein Kupplungsabschnitt zum Befestigen des Spatels an der Handhabe anschließt.The cosmetic brush is designed in such a way that the spatula merges into a booklet on its proximal side, which is followed by a coupling section for attaching the spatula to the handle.

Vorzugsweise ist der Kosmetikpinsel so gestaltet, dass das Borstenfeld ein Flachborstenfeld ist, dessen Borstenzahl in einer ersten Richtung mindestens 2,5-mal größer, oder besser noch, mindestens 3-mal größer ist als seine Borstenzahl in einer zweiten, dazu senkrechten Richtung.The cosmetic brush is preferably designed in such a way that the bristle field is a flat bristle field whose number of bristles in a first direction is at least 2.5 times larger, or better still, at least 3 times larger than its number of bristles in a second direction perpendicular thereto.

Der Kosmetikpinsel ist so gestaltet, dass die Länge des Biegeelements in Richtung der Längsachse LS um mindestens den Faktor 4 größer ist als die Länge der Borsten.The cosmetic brush is designed such that the length of the bending element in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS is at least a factor of 4 greater than the length of the bristles.

Weitere Vorteile, Funktionen, Wirkungsweisen und Ausgestaltungsmöglichkeiten ergeben sich aus den nachfolgenden, anhand der Figuren beschriebenen Ausführungsbeispiele.Further advantages, functions, modes of operation and design options result from the following exemplary embodiments described with reference to the figures.

Die Figuren 1a bis 1d zeigen ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung, bei dem das flexible Biegeelement aus einem Spatel mit einer völlig glatten, in sich geschlossenen Oberfläche ausgebildet ist.The Figures 1a to 1d show a first embodiment of the invention, in which the flexible bending element is formed from a spatula with a completely smooth, self-contained surface.

Die Figuren 2a bis 2d zeigen ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel, bei dem das flexible Biegeelement mit einem mittigen Durchbruch versehen ist, der seine Flexibilität erhöht, ohne dass man seine Breite verringern muss.The Figures 2a to 2d show a second embodiment in which the flexible bending element is provided with a central opening, which increases its flexibility without having to reduce its width.

Die Figuren 3a bis 3d zeigen ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel mit einer ersten Alternative für eine Profilierung des flexiblen Biegeelements.The Figures 3a to 3d show a third embodiment with a first alternative for profiling the flexible bending element.

Die Figuren 4a bis 4d zeigen ein viertes Ausführungsbeispiel mit einer zweiten Alternative für eine Profilierung des flexiblen Biegeelements.The Figures 4a to 4d show a fourth embodiment with a second alternative for profiling the flexible bending element.

Der Pinselapplikator besteht aus einem Befestigungsabschnitt 2, der zur Verbindung mit der hier nicht bzw. nur in Figur 1a gezeigten Handhabe mit einer Mittelachse LH dient, die überwiegend die Gestalt eines länglich-schlanken Stiels haben wird, wie man ihn auch anderweitig für Pinsel verwendet. Der Pinselapplikator 1 besitzt einen weiteren Abschnitt, das sogenannte flexible Biegeelement 3, das einen Teil der Länge ersetzt, die sonst von den Schäften der Borsten eingenommen wird. Das flexible Biegeelement 3 bildet, obwohl das für die Erfindung gemäß Anspruch 1 nicht zwingend ist, bei den Ausführungsbeispielen einen gleich noch näher zu erläuternden Spatel aus und wird daher im Folgenden der Einfachheit halber an vielen Stellen nur noch als "Spatel 3" bezeichnet - obwohl es vollständig korrekt eigentlich "das flexible Biegeelement 3 in Gestalt eines Spatels" heißen müsste.The brush applicator consists of a fastening section 2 which is not or only in connection with the here Figure 1a shown handle with a central axis LH, which will predominantly have the shape of an elongated, slender handle, as is also used for brushes. The brush applicator 1 has a further section, the so-called flexible bending element 3, which replaces part of the length that would otherwise be taken up by the shanks of the bristles becomes. The flexible bending element 3, although this is not mandatory for the invention according to claim 1, forms a spatula to be explained in more detail in the exemplary embodiments and is therefore referred to in the following for the sake of simplicity only as "spatula 3" in many places - although it should actually be correctly called "the flexible bending element 3 in the form of a spatula".

Der Pinselapplikator 1 und sein Spatel 3 besitzen eine Längsachse LS. Diese entspricht im Regelfall der Längsachse LH des Stiels, der als Handhabe dient und an dem das Applikatorelement 1 mit Hilfe eines Befestigungsabschnitts 2 angebracht wird.The brush applicator 1 and its spatula 3 have a longitudinal axis LS. As a rule, this corresponds to the longitudinal axis LH of the handle, which serves as a handle and to which the applicator element 1 is attached with the aid of a fastening section 2.

Der Spatel 3 ist als Flachspatel ausgeführt. Er besitzt zwei sich gegenüberliegende, im Wesentlichen ebene Spatelhauptflächen 4, die die Applikatorfläche des Spatels darstellen. Die Spatelhauptflächen sind - in Richtung der Längsachse LS gesehen - vorzugsweise zwischen 0,8 cm und 2,2 cm lang (Länge l) und quer dazu vorzugsweise zwischen 0,25 cm und 0,75 cm breit (Breite b). Die Dicke des Spatels senkrecht zu einer Spatelhauptfläche beträgt zwischen 0,12 cm und 0,7 cm (Dicke d), wobei die Dicke zum distalen Ende hin abnimmt. Der Spatel ist vorzugsweise aus einem elastischen Kunststoff gefertigt und so ausgelegt, dass sich seine Spitze durch Biegung ohne bleibende Materialverformung oder Überlastung des Spatels um mindestens 0,8 mm senkrecht zur Längsachse LS verlagern lässt. Auf diese Art und Weise erhält man einen Spatel, der sich unter dem Einfluss der bei der Applikation regulär auftretenden Kräfte optimal anschmiegt.The spatula 3 is designed as a flat spatula. It has two opposing, essentially flat main spatula surfaces 4, which represent the applicator surface of the spatula. The main spatula surfaces - as seen in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS - are preferably between 0.8 cm and 2.2 cm long (length 1) and transversely thereto preferably between 0.25 cm and 0.75 cm wide (width b). The thickness of the spatula perpendicular to a main spatula surface is between 0.12 cm and 0.7 cm (thickness d), the thickness decreasing towards the distal end. The spatula is preferably made of an elastic plastic and is designed such that its tip can be displaced perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis LS by bending without permanent deformation of the material or overloading the spatula. In this way, a spatula is obtained which nestles optimally under the influence of the forces that regularly occur during application.

Die Spatelhauptflächen 4 werden durch Eintauchen in das Kosmetikum mit einer Schicht des Kosmetikums überzogen. Jede dieser Spatelhauptflächen 4 ist so ausgestaltet und positioniert, dass sie an der mit dem Kosmetikum zu behandelnden Hautpartie entlang gezogen werden kann und dabei das an ihr anhaftende Kosmetikum an die zu behandelnde Hautpartie abgibt. Der Spatel ist so ausgelegt, dass seine Spatelhauptflächen mehr als 70 % der benetzbaren Oberfläche des eigentlichen Spatels (ohne Einbeziehung der Borstenoberfläche) ausmachen, idealerweise sogar mehr als 75 %.The main spatula surfaces 4 are coated with a layer of the cosmetic by immersion in the cosmetic. Each of these main spatula surfaces 4 is designed and positioned such that it can be pulled along the area of skin to be treated with the cosmetic and thereby releases the cosmetic adhering to the area of skin to be treated. The spatula is designed so that its main spatula surfaces make up more than 70% of the wettable surface of the actual spatula (without including the bristle surface), ideally even more than 75%.

Die Spatelhauptflächen erstrecken sich im Wesentlichen parallel zur Spatellängsachse LS. Für ihre Neigung gegenüber der Spatellängsachse LS gilt daher 0° ≤ Neigung ≤ 15°. Ideal ist eine Neigung zumindest einer der Spatelhauptflächen um 2° ≤ Neigung ≤ 5°.The main spatula surfaces extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula. For their inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis LS of the spatula, 0 ° ≤ inclination ≤ 15 ° applies. Ideally, an inclination of at least one of the main spatula surfaces by 2 ° ≤ inclination ≤ 5 °.

Zumindest eine, in der Regel sämtliche Spatelhauptflächen bzw. sogar der gesamte Spatel mit Ausnahme seines distalen Endes ist borstenfrei, d. h. es sind keine Fortsätze vorhanden, die so gestaltet sind, dass sich zwischen ihnen Oberflächenbereiche der Spatelhauptfläche befinden, an denen Kosmetikum anhaften kann, das bei bestimmungsgemäßem Gebrauch nicht unmittelbar mit der zu behandelnden Hautpartie in Kontakt kommt. Bei diesem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel (so, wie es die Fig. 1a bis 1c zeigen) besitzen die Spatelhauptflächen bzw. die Applikatorfläche des Spatels sogar eine vollständig glatte Oberfläche, die nur im mikroskopischen Bereich die üblichen Oberflächenrauigkeiten aufweist. Eine solchermaßen borstenfreie Applikatorfläche ist sehr gut für einen flächig-deckenden Auftrag des Kosmetikums geeignet. Die Applikatorfläche kann bei Bedarf allerdings auch beflockt sein, wobei die Beflockung im Regelfall so fein ist, dass die Eignung für einen flächig-deckenden Auftrag des Kosmetikums unterstützt wird. Ggf. kann zumindest eine der Spatelhauptflächen eine das großzügige Anhaften des Kosmetikums verbessernde Feinstrukturierung aufweisen, die der obigen Definition entspricht, also nicht zu grob ist, und die als Variante in Gestalt eines lokalen Musters aus feinen Pyramiden exemplarisch von der Fig. 1d gezeigt wird.At least one, usually all of the main spatula surfaces or even the entire spatula, with the exception of its distal end, is bristle-free, i.e. there are no extensions that are designed in such a way that surface areas of the main spatula surface between which cosmetics can adhere are located does not come into direct contact with the skin area to be treated when used as intended. In this first embodiment (as the 1a to 1c show) the main spatula surfaces or the applicator surface of the spatula even have a completely smooth surface which has the usual surface roughness only in the microscopic range. Such a bristle-free applicator surface is very well suited for a full-coverage application of the cosmetic. The applicator surface can, however, also be flocked if necessary, the flocking being generally so fine that it is suitable for a covering surface Order of the cosmetics is supported. Possibly. At least one of the main spatula surfaces can have a fine structuring which improves the generous adherence of the cosmetic, which corresponds to the above definition, that is to say is not too coarse, and which, as a variant in the form of a local pattern of fine pyramids, is exemplary of that Fig. 1d will be shown.

Des Weiteren besitzt der Spatel zwei sich ebenfalls gegenüberliegende Schmalflächen 5 sowie eine Stirnfläche 6 an seinem der Handhabe abgewandten, distalen Ende. Die Stirnfläche 6 verbindet die beiden Schmalflächen 5. Proximal enden die beiden Spatelhauptflächen 4 und die Schmalflächen 5 in einem umlaufenden Heft 10, das nicht nur zur Abstützung bestimmt ist, sondern mit seinen im Anschluss an die Spatelhauptflächen senkrecht hierzu mehr als 1,25 mm senkrecht zur Längsachse ansteigenden Randflächen auch dazu dient, zu verhindern, dass die Kosmetik-Beladung der Spatelhauptflächen im Zuge der Applikation frühzeitig in Richtung der Längsachse (LS) zum Stiel hin weggedrückt wird, anstatt auf die zu behandelnde Hautpartie aufgezogen zu werden.Furthermore, the spatula has two narrow surfaces 5, which are also opposite one another, and an end surface 6 on its distal end facing away from the handle. The end face 6 connects the two narrow surfaces 5. Proximally, the two main spatula surfaces 4 and the narrow surfaces 5 end in a circumferential booklet 10, which is not only intended for support, but with its perpendicular to the main spatula surfaces more than 1.25 mm Edge surfaces rising towards the longitudinal axis also serve to prevent the cosmetic load on the main spatula surfaces from being pressed away early in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS) towards the stem during the application, instead of being pulled onto the area of skin to be treated.

Im Bereich des distalen Endes werden die Spatelhauptflächen deutlich schmaler und bieten daher einen Bereich, mit dessen Hilfe sich das Kosmetikum an der Grenze zwischen der zu behandelnden und einer nicht zu behandelnden Hautpartie mit erhöhter Trennschärfe auftragen lässt. Dies wird bei dem hier besprochenen Ausführungsbeispiel dadurch erreicht, dass die Stirnfläche 6 in Richtung von einer Schmalfläche zur anderen Schmalfläche - vorzugsweise kontinuierlich - konvex gekrümmt ist. Hierdurch weist jede der Spatelhauptflächen an ihrem distalen Ende einen bogenförmigen Rand 8 auf, der in die geradlinigen Seitenränder 9 übergeht. Die Spatelhauptflächen 4 werden also zu ihrem distalen Ende hin jeweils "zungenartig" schmaler. Dieser bogenförmige Rand ermöglicht es, das sogleich noch näher zu beschreibende Borstenfeld aus einer Anzahl von jeweils im Wesentlichen gleich langen und damit zumindest ähnlich flexiblen Borsten zu bilden und dem Borstenfeld dennoch an seinem distalen Ende eine bogenförmige Außenkontur zu verleihen - vorzugsweise eine Außenkontur, in der das "Zungenartige-Schmaler-Werden" der Spatelhauptflächen wiederkehrt.In the area of the distal end, the main spatula surfaces become significantly narrower and therefore offer an area with which the cosmetic can be applied with increased selectivity at the border between the skin area to be treated and a skin area not to be treated. In the exemplary embodiment discussed here, this is achieved in that the end face 6 is convexly curved — preferably continuously — in the direction from one narrow face to the other narrow face. As a result, each of the main spatula surfaces has an arcuate edge 8 at its distal end, which merges into the rectilinear side edges 9. The main spatula surfaces 4 thus become narrower towards their distal end. This arc-shaped edge makes it possible to form the bristle field, which is to be described in greater detail below, from a number of bristles which are each essentially of the same length and thus at least similarly flexible, and yet to give the bristle field an arc-shaped outer contour at its distal end - preferably an outer contour in which the "tongue-like narrowing" of the main spatula recurs.

Die Stirnfläche 6 trägt einen Besatz aus an den Spatel angespritzten Borsten 7. Die Borsten weisen vorzugsweise jeweils eine kegelige Gestalt auf. Das Borstenfeld erstreckt sich im Wesentlichen über die gesamte Breite b, die die Spatelhauptflächen 4 an ihrem distalen Ende aufweisen, d. h. am Übergang zum Borstenfeld. Das Borstenfeld ist vorzugsweise mehrreihig ausgeführt und besteht dann aus mindestens zwei bzw. besser drei bis fünf nebeneinander stehenden Reihen aus je 6 bis 18 hintereinander stehenden Borsten. Vorzugsweise sind benachbarte Borstenreihen mit einem Rapport ausgeführt, der so gewählt ist, dass eine Borste einer ersten Reihe mittig auf der Höhe des Borstenzwischenraumes zwischen zwei Borsten der benachbarten Reihe steht. Die Länge bl der Borsten beträgt vorzugsweise zwischen 2,5 mm und 7,5 mm, der maximale Borstendurchmesser (im ungestörten Borstenbereich gemessen, d. h. außerhalb des ggf. vorhandenen, stark verrundeten bzw. kehlig ausgeführten Borstenwurzelbereichs) liegt vorzugsweise zwischen 0,15 mm und 0,45 mm.The end face 6 carries a set of bristles 7 molded onto the spatula. The bristles preferably each have a conical shape. The bristle field extends essentially over the entire width b, which the main spatula surfaces 4 have at their distal end, i. H. at the transition to the bristle field. The bristle field is preferably made up of several rows and then consists of at least two or better three to five rows next to each other, each consisting of 6 to 18 bristles in a row. Adjacent rows of bristles are preferably designed with a repeat that is selected such that a bristle of a first row is located centrally at the level of the bristle space between two bristles of the adjacent row. The length bl of the bristles is preferably between 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm, the maximum bristle diameter (measured in the undisturbed bristle area, ie outside the possibly rounded, rounded or throaty bristle root area) is preferably between 0.15 mm and 0.45 mm.

Die Länge der Borsten ist vorzugsweise so gewählt, dass der äußerste distale Rand des Borstenfeldes bogenförmig verläuft und konvex nach außen gekrümmt ist.The length of the bristles is preferably chosen so that the outermost distal edge of the bristle field is curved and is convexly curved outwards.

Zumindest eine im Mittenbereich angeordnete, d. h. an zwei Seiten von einer benachbarten Borstenreihe umgebene Borstenreihe besteht vorzugsweise (in den Fig. 2 nicht gezeigt) aus Borsten, die 0,3 mm bis 0,9 mm länger sind als die beiden unmittelbar benachbarten Borstenreihen, so dass die Borstenenden der besagten, im Mittenbereich angeordneten Borstenreihe über die restlichen Borstenenden des Borstenfeldes hinausstehen. Auf diese Art und Weise wird ein Borstenfeld bereitgestellt, das einerseits eine erhöhte Speicherkapazität für das Kosmetikum bildet und dessen Borsten sich in ihrem Fußbereich wirksam gegeneinander abstützen, das aber andererseits die Möglichkeit bietet, einen sehr feinen Strich zu ziehen, indem nur die Spitzen des Borstenfeldes mit der zu behandelnden Hautpartie in Kontakt gebracht werden.At least one row of bristles arranged in the middle region, ie surrounded on two sides by an adjacent row of bristles, preferably consists (in FIGS Fig. 2 not shown) made of bristles that are 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm longer than the two immediately adjacent rows of bristles, so that the bristle ends of the said row of bristles located in the center region protrude beyond the remaining bristle ends of the bristle field. In this way, a bristle field is provided which, on the one hand, forms an increased storage capacity for the cosmetic and whose bristles are effectively supported against one another in their foot region, but which, on the other hand, offers the possibility of drawing a very fine line by using only the tips of the bristle field be brought into contact with the area of skin to be treated.

Die Borstengeometrie und der Kunststoff, aus dem die Borsten gefertigt sind, sind vorzugsweise so aufeinander abgestimmt, dass sich die Mittellinie der Borstenenden unter dem Einfluss der bei der Applikation auftretenden Kräfte mehrfach in eine Position biegen lässt, die um mindestens 60° zur Längsachse LS geneigt ist, ohne dass die Borsten das Vermögen verlieren, in ihre ungestörte Ausgangsposition zurückzukehren.The bristle geometry and the plastic from which the bristles are made are preferably matched to one another in such a way that the center line of the bristle ends can be bent several times under the influence of the forces occurring during application into a position which is inclined by at least 60 ° to the longitudinal axis LS is without the bristles losing the ability to return to their undisturbed starting position.

Die Fig. 2 a bis 2d zeigen ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel des erfindungsgemäßen Applikatorelements 1. Das zweite Ausführungsbeispiel entspricht in seiner Ausgestaltung exakt dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel, so dass alles, was soeben für jenes beschrieben wurde, uneingeschränkt auch für das zweite Ausführungsbeispiel gilt.The 2 a to 2d show a second embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention. The design of the second embodiment corresponds exactly to the first embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for that also applies without restriction to the second embodiment.

Der einzige Unterschied dieses zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels liegt in Folgendem:
Bei diesem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel ist der Spatel 3 mit einem Durchbruch 12 versehen, der sich durch beide Spatelhauptflächen 4 hindurch erstreckt. Die Spatelhauptflächen 4 weisen also beide ein "Loch" auf, das durch den gesamten Spatel hindurch geht. Vorzugsweise hat der Durchbruch 12 einen länglichen lichten Querschnitt, d. h. einen Querschnitt, dessen maximale Erstreckung in Richtung der Längsachse (LS)mindestens dreimal größer ist als in seiner Richtung senkrecht hierzu. Bei diesem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel besitzt der Durchbruch einen zigarrenförmigen lichten Querschnitt. Dieser Durchbruch hält beim Herausziehen des Spatels aus dem Kosmetikvorrat eine erhebliche Menge an Kosmetikmasse zurück und bildet so einen Speicher für die Kosmetikmasse. Der lichte Querschnitt des Durchbruchs und die Flexibilität des Spatels sind so auf die Rheologie der mit dem Spatel aufzutragenden Kosmetikmasse abgestimmt, dass die in dem Durchbruch gespeicherte Kosmetikmasse, insbesondere in dem Moment aus dem Durchbruch herausgedrückt und wieder abgegeben wird, in dem sich der Spatel im Zuge der Applikation bestimmungsgemäß verformt.The only difference of this second embodiment is as follows:
In this second exemplary embodiment, the spatula 3 is provided with an opening 12 which extends through both main spatula surfaces 4. The main spatula surfaces 4 thus both have a “hole” that extends through the entire spatula. The opening 12 preferably has an elongated clear cross section, ie a cross section whose maximum extension in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS) is at least three times larger than in its direction perpendicular to it. In this second embodiment, the opening has a cigar-shaped clear cross section. This breakthrough retains a considerable amount of cosmetic mass when the spatula is pulled out of the cosmetic supply and thus forms a store for the cosmetic mass. The clear cross section of the breakthrough and the flexibility of the spatula are matched to the rheology of the cosmetic mass to be applied with the spatula in such a way that the cosmetic mass stored in the breakthrough is pressed out of the breakthrough and released again at the moment when the spatula is in the Deformed as intended during the application.

Die Fig. 3 a bis 3d zeigen ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel des erfindungsgemäßen Applikatorelements 1. Das dritte Ausführungsbeispiel entspricht in seiner Ausgestaltung exakt dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel, so dass alles, was soeben für jenes beschrieben wurde, uneingeschränkt auch für das dritte Ausführungsbeispiel gilt.The 3 a to 3d show a third embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention. The embodiment of the third embodiment corresponds exactly to the first embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for that also applies without restriction to the third embodiment.

Der einzige Unterschied dieses dritten Ausführungsbeispiels liegt in Folgendem:
Die Spatelhauptflächen 4 besitzen bei diesem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel keine vollständig glatte Oberfläche, sondern eine Profilierung, die das Anhaften des Kosmetikums an der Spatelhauptfläche 4 verstärkt und auf diese Art und Weise einen Speicher bildet. Die Profilierung ist vorzugsweise in Gestalt von mehreren Rinnen 13 ausgeführt, deren jeweilige Mittelachse jeweils in Richtung der Längsachse LS verläuft, ggf. unter derjenigen geringen Neigung, die auch die Spatelhauptflächen 4 selbst gegenüber der Längsachse LS aufweisen. Vorzugsweise sind 2 bis 10 Rinnen vorgesehen. Die Rinnen weisen gegenüber dem übrigen, unprofilierten Teil der Spatelhauptfläche vorzugsweise eine geringe Tiefe auf, die sich in der Größenordnung des 0,75-fachen bis 3-fachen maximalen Borstendurchmessers bewegt. Die Breite der Rinnen bewegt sich vorzugsweise im Bereich des 1-fachen bis 3-fachen maximalen Borstendurchmessers. In den Fig. 3 beträgt die Breite etwa das 1,5-fache des maximalen Borstendurchmessers. Idealerweise schneiden die Rinnen den distalen Rand der jeweiligen Spatelhauptfläche an und sind dadurch zum Borstenfeld hin offen. Dies unterstützt die Wiederabgabe des zunächst in den Rillen gespeicherten Kosmetikums im Zuge der Applikation.The only difference of this third embodiment is as follows:
In this third exemplary embodiment, the main spatula surfaces 4 do not have a completely smooth surface, but a profiling which increases the adherence of the cosmetic to the main spatula surface 4 and in this way forms a memory. The profiling is preferably carried out in the form of a plurality of grooves 13, the respective central axis of which runs in the direction of the longitudinal axis LS, possibly below the slight inclination which the main spatula surfaces 4 themselves have with respect to the longitudinal axis LS. Preferably 2 to 10 channels are provided. Compared to the remaining, non-profiled part of the main spatula surface, the channels preferably have a small depth, which is in the order of magnitude of 0.75 to 3 times the maximum bristle diameter. The width of the channels is preferably in the range from 1 to 3 times the maximum bristle diameter. In the Fig. 3 the width is about 1.5 times the maximum bristle diameter. Ideally, the channels cut the distal edge of the respective main spatula surface and are thus open to the bristle field. This supports the re-delivery of the cosmetic product initially stored in the grooves during the course of the application.

Bei dem Ausführungsbeispiel 3 sind drei parallele Rinnen vorgesehen, deren Tiefe jeweils kleiner ist als der maximale Borstendurchmesser und deren Breite größer als der einfache maximale Borstendurchmesser und kleiner als das Doppelte des maximalen Borstendurchmessers ist.In embodiment 3, three parallel channels are provided, the depth of which is in each case less than the maximum bristle diameter and the width of which is greater than the simple maximum bristle diameter and less than twice the maximum bristle diameter.

Die Fig. 4 a bis 4d zeigen ein viertes Ausführungsbeispiel des erfindungsgemäßen Applikatorelements 1. Das vierte Ausführungsbeispiel entspricht in seiner Ausgestaltung exakt dem ersten und zugleich dem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel, so dass alles, was soeben für jene beschrieben wurde, uneingeschränkt auch für das vierte Ausführungsbeispiel gilt.The 4 a to 4d show a fourth embodiment of the applicator element 1 according to the invention. The design of the fourth embodiment corresponds exactly to the first and at the same time to the third embodiment, so that everything that has just been described for those also applies without restriction to the fourth exemplary embodiment.

Der einzige Unterschied dieses vierten Ausführungsbeispiels zum ersten und dritten Ausführungsbeispiel liegt in Folgendem:
Bei dem Ausführungsbeispiel 4 sind acht parallele Rinnen 13 vorgesehen. Deren Tiefe ist jeweils kleiner als der maximale Borstendurchmesser. Die Breite der Rinnen entspricht dem maximalen Borstendurchmesser. Jede der Rinnen fluchtet mit der ihr nächstgelegenen Borste, so dass das in den Rinnen gespeicherte Kosmetikum beim Verlassen der Rinne unmittelbar der sich in distaler Richtung an die Rinne anschließenden Borste zugeleitet wird.The only difference between this fourth embodiment and the first and third embodiments is as follows:
In embodiment 4, eight parallel channels 13 are provided. The depth of each is smaller than the maximum bristle diameter. The width of the channels corresponds to the maximum bristle diameter. Each of the channels is aligned with the bristle closest to it, so that the cosmetic stored in the channels is fed directly to the bristle adjoining the channel in the distal direction when it leaves the channel.

Im Übrigen ist bei dem von Fig. 4 gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel die Stirnfläche 6 gerade, was ein Feld aus unterschiedlich langen Borsten fordert, um eine abgerundete Pinselspitze zu realisieren.Incidentally, with that of Fig. 4 Embodiment shown the end face 6 straight, which requires a field of bristles of different lengths in order to realize a rounded brush tip.

BezugszeichenlisteReference symbol list

11
PinselapplikatorBrush applicator
22nd
BefestigungsabschnittFastening section
33rd
Spatel (oder allgemeiner "flexibles Biegeelement" genannt)Spatula (or more commonly called "flexible flexure")
44th
SpatelhauptflächeMain spatula surface
55
SchmalflächeNarrow area
66
StirnflächeFace
77
BorstenBristles
88th
distaler, bogenförmiger Randdistal, arched rim
99
seitlicher gerader Randstraight side edge
1010th
Heftnotebook
1111
Nicht vergebenNot awarded
1212
Durchbruchbreakthrough
1313
RinneGutter
ll
Länge der SpatelhauptflächeLength of the main spatula
bb
Breite der SpatelhauptflächeWidth of the main spatula
dd
Dickethickness
blbl
Länge einer BorsteLength of a bristle
LSLS
Längsache des flexiblen Biegeelements bzw. des Borstenersatzelements bzw. des SpatelsLongitudinal axis of the flexible bending element or the bristle replacement element or the spatula
LBLB
Längsache einer Borste, entspricht der gedachten Mittellinie einer BorsteLongitudinal axis of a bristle corresponds to the imaginary center line of a bristle
LHLH
Längsache der HandhabeLongitudinal axis of the handle

Claims (9)

  1. A cosmetic brush, consisting of a handling means with the longitudinal axis (LH) and a brush applicator (1) adjacent to the handling means, wherein the brush applicator (1) consists of a bending member (3) with a longitudinal axis (LS), which is flexible in at least one plane and which has on its distal end a bristle covering of a plurality of integrally molded-on bristles (7) whose longitudinal axis (LB) extends parallel to the longitudinal axis (LS), wherein the bending member is configured as a flat spatula having two planar main spatula surfaces (4) on both sides of the longitudinal spatula axis (LS) opposing each other and two narrow surfaces (5) also opposing each other, wherein the two main spatula surfaces (4) and the narrow surfaces (5) end in a peripherally extending hilt (10) which, with its edge surfaces that, adjacent to the main spatula surfaces, rise by more than 1.25 mm in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, serves for preventing the cosmetic load of the main spatula surfaces being pushed away towards the stem in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS), wherein the two main spatula surfaces (4) constitute more than 70 % of the surface of the spatula, wherein the bristle surface is not included in the surface of the spatula and the thickness of the spatula perpendicular to a main spatula surface continuously decreases towards the distal end between the hilt (10) and the bristle covering, wherein the length of said bending member in the shape of a flat spatula in the direction of the longitudinal axis (LS) is longer by a factor of at least 4 than the length (B1) of the bristles.
  2. The cosmetic brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the bending member (3) has at least one weakened portion that reduces its bending stiffness.
  3. The cosmetic brush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main spatula surface (4) is bristle-free.
  4. The cosmetic brush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distal end face (6) of the spatula, on which the bristles (7) are anchored, is formed as an arc extending from one narrow surface of the spatula to the other narrow surface of the spatula.
  5. The cosmetic brush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the main spatula surfaces (4) has a profile at least in some regions.
  6. The cosmetic brush according to claim 5, characterized in that the profile preferably consists of a number of longitudinally extending ribs.
  7. The cosmetic brush according to claim 6, characterized in that the ribs are each aligned with the bristles (7) situated closest to them, so that the depressions between the ribs lead into the intermediate spaces between the closest bristles (7).
  8. The cosmetic brush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bristle array is a flat bristle array whose number of bristles of a first direction is at least 2.5 times, better at least 3 times, greater than its number of bristles of a second direction perpendicular thereto.
  9. The cosmetic brush according to claim 1, in which the enveloping contour of the bending member in the shape of a flat spatula transitions substantially continuously into the enveloping contour of the bristle array formed by the bristles, by a difference of ≤ 4 times the maximum bristle diameter existing between the transverse extent, i.e. the extent perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (LS), of the enveloping contour of the bending member and the transverse extent of the enveloping contour of the bristle array formed by the aforementioned bristles.
EP11170107.4A 2010-06-18 2011-06-16 Moulded lip brush Active EP2397046B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE202010009236U DE202010009236U1 (en) 2010-06-18 2010-06-18 cosmetic brushes

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2397046A1 EP2397046A1 (en) 2011-12-21
EP2397046B1 true EP2397046B1 (en) 2020-05-13

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EP (1) EP2397046B1 (en)
CN (1) CN102293510B (en)
DE (1) DE202010009236U1 (en)

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DK2931080T3 (en) 2012-12-14 2019-01-14 Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa Using Tools
DE202014000437U1 (en) * 2013-10-23 2015-01-26 Geka Gmbh Injection molded brush with special bristle trim
FR3026618B1 (en) * 2014-10-01 2017-05-26 Oreal PARTIALLY FLOCKED PICOTS APPLICATOR
FR3029757B1 (en) 2014-12-15 2021-06-04 Albea Services APPLICATOR FOR LIQUID OR VISCOUS COSMETICS AND ITS ASSOCIATED PACKAGING KIT
CN105396216A (en) * 2015-12-07 2016-03-16 张茂芳 Nursing lip moistening device
FR3070838B1 (en) * 2017-09-11 2022-09-09 Oreal APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING A COSMETIC PRODUCT

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GB2159699B (en) * 1984-05-23 1988-06-02 Rodney David Cole An applicator for the application of cosmetic products
FR2722380A1 (en) * 1994-07-12 1996-01-19 Oreal APPLICATOR FOR THE APPLICATION OF A LIQUID COSMETIC PRODUCT AND MAKEUP ASSEMBLY PROVIDED WITH SUCH A APPLICATOR
IE20000110A1 (en) * 2000-02-07 2001-08-22 Loctite R & D Ltd Applicator, Applicator Cap and a Container Having an Applicator Cap
FR2854779B1 (en) * 2003-05-14 2006-09-01 Oreal APPLICATOR AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND APPLICATION COMPRISING SUCH AN APPLICATOR
FR2858529B1 (en) * 2003-08-04 2006-02-17 Oreal APPLICATOR AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND APPLICATION COMPRISING SUCH AN APPLICATOR
EP1645204A1 (en) * 2004-10-08 2006-04-12 Geka Brush Gmbh Lip applicator with progressive flexibility
US20070181143A1 (en) * 2005-12-30 2007-08-09 Antonio Montoli Flocked cosmetic applicators
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CN201067174Y (en) * 2007-05-14 2008-06-04 爱你士化妆用具(天津)有限公司 Cosmetic brush with changeable brush head
CN201073083Y (en) * 2007-06-29 2008-06-18 上海巴黎蒂日用化学品有限公司 Little hair brush with elastic clamp
CN201182327Y (en) * 2008-03-20 2009-01-21 金光洙 Brush for painting even and exquisite nail enamel
US20100132731A1 (en) * 2008-12-01 2010-06-03 Matthew Waitesmith Ergonomic Cosmetic Brush

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US5765573A (en) * 1995-08-30 1998-06-16 L'oreal Applicator of mascara

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE202010009236U1 (en) 2011-11-14
CN102293510A (en) 2011-12-28
EP2397046A1 (en) 2011-12-21
CN102293510B (en) 2015-04-15

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