JP3695644B2 - Application equipment for cosmetics, care products, etc. - Google Patents

Abstract

An applicator consists of a head with a surface that has through channels for the product and is mounted on a support with a fastening designed to co-operate with a matching fastening attached to a container. An applicator (1) consists of a head (2) with a surface (3) that has through channels (13, 14, 15) for the product and is mounted on a support (6) with a fastening (7) designed to co-operate with a matching fastening (33, 34) attached to a container (40). When the two fastening surfaces are joined together a seal (42) on the container is pierced by pointed projections (19, 20, 21) on the inner surface of the support, allowing the product to pass through the channels to the head surface.

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to an apparatus used for application of, for example, cosmetics and care products. Such products are used especially for massaging the skin and hair.
[0002]
The present invention is particularly intended for use in products for thinning or toning, such as those used on the abdomen, chest, and thighs. Such products are sent to a wide range of markets via various distribution channels. These products are made from, for example, extracts of ivy, lascus, arnica, silicon, caffeine, and algae.
[0003]
[Prior art]
The demand for thinning cream has increased in the last few years. These functions are in particular the improvement of skin quality (mandarin skin effect: Orange Peel Effect, cellulite, firmness, etc.). Using hand massage on each part of the body plays an important role in this process.
[0004]
Treatments for thinning have also been developed. Drugs necessary for treatment are stored in a box made of polyethylene, containing 10 to 20 containers containing a single use amount. Such drug containers are manufactured using the FFS (fill-seal) principle. In the morning and evening, use lotion with a massage on the necessary part by hand. However, since the lotion has high fluidity, it is desirable to use an applicator in order to use it without waste. Furthermore, when the contents are taken out in several stages, the container containing the remaining product is not stable and there is a risk that the product will be wasted.
[0005]
The application system described in French Patent Application No. A-1477781 discloses a container having a flexible wall and a rim separating an opening. A frame surrounding the opening supports a coating pad made of a foam-like or sponge-like thermoplastic resin. The pad may be provided with one or more orifices to limit flow or separated from the container by a diaphragm that can be broken or penetrated before use. When using the applicator, the user punctures the foam pad and partition plate with a needle or other pointed object, allowing the container and pad to communicate.
[0006]
There are many disadvantages of such a structure. The process of communicating the container and the applicator pad is difficult and multiple holes must be drilled to completely distribute the product across the application surface of the applicator, at which time the needle is misplaced. There is a risk of penetrating the outer wall of the container. Also, the application pad is integrated with the product for a single use, which further increases the particularly high manufacturing costs.
[0007]
The applicator described in US Pat. No. 3,466,131 comprises a porous pad welded to a thermoplastic housing. The housing includes a bead-shaped capsule containing the product therein, and compressing the container ruptures the capsule and spreads the product over the applicator. The container also acts as a grip. The flow path has a star shape so that the product spreads uniformly on the pad.
[0008]
Similar to the method described above in French Patent Application A-1477781, this device has a number of disadvantages. A single product is inseparably compatible with the applicator. The product is housed in small beads. The encapsulation process and the process of manufacturing such a device are expensive. Also, great force is required to rupture the capsule.
[0009]
The device described in FR-A-2 595 587 is provided with a reservoir which is separated from the outside air by a thin film that can be pierced before use. The reservoir is made of a flexible material and constitutes the grip portion of the device. The film sealing the reservoir is penetrated using a moving trocar that moves towards the membrane to be pierced by the pressure applied to the applicator surface for mounting the reservoir. This mechanism is complex and expensive to manufacture. When piercing the membrane, there is a risk of smearing the user's hand pushing the surface of the applicator. Furthermore, such devices are not intended for reuse.
[0010]
Similar devices are described in French Patent Application A-2506579 and US Pat. No. 2,448,846.
[0011]
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,690, it is mounted on a support which comprises a tubular fixing means, which can cooperate with auxiliary fixing means provided on the container. Such a fixing means installed in the container can refill the device in particular, increasing the cost and making the structure overly complex when the container is simply a consumable. In addition, the tube mounted on the support cannot be reused and is discarded as it is used.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that remedies the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, it is an apparatus used for a liquid product such as that used for skin and hair, which has a simple structure, can be manufactured economically, and can be used comfortably.
[0013]
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a refillable device.
[0014]
The present invention also provides an applicator for use on the skin that is firm and firm so that the product penetrates and promotes metabolism of the subcutaneous tissue and conditions the skin. .
[0015]
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a device for storing a product so that the amount used for each batch can be taken out, and sealing the product. And to propose a refillable device that can be opened quickly.
[0016]
Other objects should become apparent from the detailed description below.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, such an object is to apply a product such as a cosmetic product or a care product to the skin or hair, for example, on the surface of the applicator on which the product is conveyed by at least one communication port. The applicator member is mounted on a support member having a first fixing means, which can be mounted with a container for accommodating the product by acting together with a second fixing means. The fixing means 2 is formed by a mounting member other than the container, and a member that closes the opening of the container by the action of the first and second fixing means cooperates with at least one opening member formed by the support member. And at least partially opening the opening and achieving by means of a device in which product is supplied to the surface of the applicator through the at least one communication port.
[0018]
Preferably, the container is mounted so that it can be flipped over the support so that it can be replaced after use.
[0019]
The at least one communication port may be made, for example, "artificially" simultaneously with drilling or, where appropriate, when forming the applicator member. Such a communication port penetrates the entire thickness of the coating portion linearly in the axial direction. In the case of porous materials, especially porous materials such as felts, frits, open cell and semi-open cell foams, the communication holes naturally penetrate the structure of the applicator and define the openness and water permeability. It is a passage. In some cases, two types of communication ports are used in combination.
[0020]
The container is a single container. In the context of the present invention, “single dose” is used to mean a relatively small amount of product contained in a container. In general, a single dose includes a product that is only used for a single application to one or more parts of the body. Typically, the amount is a few milliliters.
[0021]
Thus, similar application devices can be used for one or more treatments. The container can be opened automatically and requires no special operations other than those necessary to mount the container. The number of parts is also small. As a result, the device can be economically manufactured, reliable and easy to use.
[0022]
Preferably, the member for sealing the container is made of a film and can be perforated by the opening member. Such film is glued or thermally glued to the edge of the container opening.
[0023]
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a gripping part made of a rigid member or a substantially rigid member. The term “substantially stiff” as used herein means that the product is sufficiently hard not to be deformed by the pressure generated by the applicator member. This is an important feature that differs from the known embodiments and devices described in particular in French Patent Application No. A-1477781 and US Pat. No. 3,466,131. This feature is also effective when firmness is required, such as when using a slimming product.
[0024]
According to the present invention, since the container is fastened by a mounting member different from the container, (1) it is necessary for gripping the apparatus and fixing the container for one use amount to the apparatus. There is no need to compromise between rigidity and (2) the requirement of industrial manufacturing processes such as thermoforming and / or container flexibility required to press the container to aid product delivery. .
[0025]
Preferably, the opening element is formed by a trocar formed on at least one support member and in conjunction with an internal seal member that seals the container to break the seal member. Preferably, the means for drilling such holes is located as close as possible to the area secured to the container so that the inner seal is perforated. For the circular cross-section of the opening, the trocar is evenly placed on the support member so as to interlock with the internal seal at various points around the edge.
[0026]
Preferably, at least one opening member also provides communication between the container and the applicator element. To this end, the at least one trocar-type member is a free-end chamfered and tubular duct which, on the one hand communicating with the container, communicates with at least one dew.
[0027]
According to one embodiment, such a duct projects from the surface of the support member. Preferably, the duct has at least one orifice or groove extending over all or part of its height so as to optimize the degree of emptying of the container. For example, the duct wall has a slot extending axially from the surface of the support member to an inclined free end in the communication opening. In other constructions, a cut is made only over a portion of the height of the duct so as not to significantly affect stiffness.
[0028]
According to a particular configuration, the plurality of ducts / trocars are arranged near the periphery of the support member. Furthermore, in the center of the support member, the support member has an orifice that opens to the container side in the plane of the support member, i.e. not in communication with the duct / trocar.
[0029]
The applicator member preferably has a number of communication ports and is arranged so that the product is spread over the entire surface of the applicator. It is desirable that the communication port is provided so as to face the end piece with each hole or to be offset. Another means of diffusing the product across the applicator surface is a star-shaped opening extending from the center point.
[0030]
The applicator member may be a frit constructed of an elastic compression material such as, for example, thermoplastic, felt, or open cell foam and closed cell foam. In an embodiment of the invention, the container is made of hot compression foam. An example of such a heat-compressed foam is described in French Patent Application No. A-26741183.
[0031]
The surface of the applicator member can be made of, for example, a cloth-like or nonwoven-like lycra, polyamide, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, plush loop, velvet elastic thin film, or the like. If the applicator member is made of a compressible foam covered with a composite fiber, the foam is soft and compressible. The woven fabric provides a more comfortable contact between the applicator and the skin. Especially in the case of liquid products based on alcohol, the product spreads by capillary action over the entire surface of the fabric. In addition, this device has features such that the skin is hardly scratched, is not easily broken, and is light.
[0032]
The surface of the applicator is uneven so that it has a massage effect when used and the product penetrates well. Applicator surface characteristics are appropriately selected according to the site of use. In particular, when the applicator member is made of a foam as described in the above-mentioned French Patent Application Publication No. A-26718383, the irregularities are formed integrally with the foam block. This is the difference between the invention described in French Patent Application Publication No. A-2559587 and the above embodiment.
[0033]
As a specific example, the container is constructed of a partially flexible material to compress and facilitate product delivery. This embodiment is suitable for highly viscous products.
[0034]
Preferably, the container is made of, for example, a translucent thermoforming container, and the opening is sealed with a composite sheet-like film having, for example, aluminum, a thermoplastic layer and a metal layer. For example, the thermoforming container is made of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, or a copolymer (trade name Barex).
[0035]
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second securing means are either screwed or fitted. In the case of the screw-in type, in addition to sealing, the force required for opening the container can be reduced.
[0036]
The second securing means is made of a sufficiently rigid mounting member so that the device can securely secure the container. The mounting member is composed of an annular element that conforms to the shape of the container. A portion of the container passes through a ring-shaped mounting member, and when the container is made of a flexible material, the bottom of the container is compressed so that the product can easily exit. The device according to the invention is suitable for products for thinning or for toning.
[0037]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 4, the device 1 comprises a heat-compressed foam block applicator member 2 and a surface 3 forming the surface of the applicator, over the entire surface 3. It has a coating part in which the protrusions 4 are uniformly arranged. A part of such an applicator is described in French Patent Application No. A-2673183. The coated portion on the coated surface is covered with an elastic fiber material 50 such as a brand name lycra and fixed with an adhesive or the like. The surface 5 of the applicator in a position symmetrical to the surface 3 is bonded or welded to a support member 6 made of polypropylene. The support member 6 includes a skirt 7 having a thread groove 8 therein. One side of the skirt 7 is closed by a transverse wall 9 against the rest of the face 5 of the applicator 2.
[0038]
The transverse wall 9 has a plurality of communication ports 10, 11, 12 having communication ports 13, 14, 15 whose one end communicates with the entire thickness of the application portion 2 and the fiber layer 50. The other ends of the communication ports 10, 12 are cut obliquely, and tubular ducts 16, 17, 18 having free ends 19, 20, 21 having a length somewhat from the transverse wall 9 are in the skirt 7. Is open. The ducts 16, 17, 18 have cuts 22, 23, 24 that extend axially from the inner surface of the transverse wall 9 to the free open ends 19, 20, 21 of the duct.
[0039]
As described in the embodiment, one of the communication ports 11 is installed at the center of the transverse wall 9. In order to use the contents completely when the thermoforming cup 40 is turned upside down, one end of the central communication port 11 is in the skirt 7 and opens to the inner wall surface of the cross section 9. On the other side of the communication port 11, a communication port 14 at the center of the applicator portion 2 is opened in the opposite direction. The ducts / trocars 16, 17, 18 and the communication ports 10, 12 associated therewith are arranged at an angle of 90 ° with each other in the vicinity of the central communication port 11.
[0040]
The apparatus of this embodiment also includes a rigid mounting member 30 having a polypropylene ring. The ring has an outer skirt 31 having a free end and facing the support member 6, and has a thread groove 34 on the outer surface and can act in cooperation with the thread groove 8 of the support member 6. it can. The end of the skirt 33 away from the flange 32 is connected to a skirt 36 having a length of 1/3 or more of the height of the skirt 33 via the flange 35 and is free to face away from the applicator member 2. Has an edge. The thermoforming cup 40 containing the product to be used is removably mounted on the mount ring 30. The trapezoidal longitudinal portion of the cup 40 has an edge 41 for placement against the flange 35 of the mount ring 30. The edge 41 divides the opening 44, and the internal sealing member 42 is melted and bonded to the edge 41 by heat.
[0041]
In the embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is mounted as follows. The user takes the product container 40 and places an internal seal 42 on the mount ring 30 (FIG. 3). The ring 30 is attached on the support member 6. The inner seal 42 is associated with the inclined ends 19, 20, 21 of the ducts 16, 17, 18, which causes the inner seal 42 to tear and the ducts 16, 17, 18 to communicate with the interior of the container 40. The screw rises continuously to the edge 41 of the container 40 so as to seal against the inner surface of the transverse wall 9 (FIG. 4). It is also possible to form a plurality of ring-shaped protrusions (not shown) on the flange 35 and on the inner surface of the transverse wall 9 so as to improve the sealing performance.
[0042]
The device 1 turns the product upside down for transporting it to the applicator surface 3 via the ducts 16, 17, 18 and the communication openings 13, 14, 15 only by its weight. The product spreads by capillary action across the fibrous surface 50 of the applicator surface 3. The applicator surface 3 is then brought into contact with the surface to be handled by a device that is securely held by the skirt 31 of the mount ring 30. The penetration of the product into the skin is facilitated by holding the skirt 31 of the mount ring 30 and massaging the surface well. The bottom of the container can pinch and pressurize the mount ring 30 for the freedom of the material forming the product container 40 and to facilitate the product moving in the direction of the application surface 3.
[0043]
Once the product container 40 is completely emptied, the ring 30 is removed from the support 6 and the container 40 is removed from the ring 30. The device can be rinsed under the spigot for cleaning. Therefore, it can be used next time.
[0044]
In the foregoing detailed description, several preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth.
[Brief description of the drawings]
From the clauses described above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, which constitutes the specific number of other clauses shown below.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a coating apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall view of a first embodiment of the coating apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.

Claims (18)

A device (1) for applying a product, such as a cosmetic or a care product, for example to the skin or hair, the surface of the applicator (3 An applicator member (2) defining
The applicator member (2) comprises first fixing means (7, 8) which can be mounted with a container (40) containing the product by acting together with second fixing means (33, 34). Mounted on the supporting member (6)
The second fixing means is formed by a mounting member (30) other than the container (40),
A member (42) for closing the opening (44) of the container by the action of the first and second fixing means is at least one opening member (19, 20, 21) formed by the support member (6). In cooperation, an apparatus (1) in which the opening (44) is at least partially released and product is fed through the at least one communication port to the surface of the applicator. The container (40) can be mounted so that the container (40) can be reversed by being sandwiched between the first fixing means (7, 8) and the second fixing means (33, 34). The apparatus of claim 1.   The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container (40) is configured to contain an amount of the product necessary for a single use. Container (40) said elements (42) for sealing is characterized in that it is constituted by a full Ilm that can be holes in the unsealing member (19, 20, 21), claim 1 4. The device (1) according to any one of 3. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second fastening means comprises an external skirt (31). Each opening member (19, 20, 21) is formed by a support member (6), at least one communicating with the communication port (13, 14, 15) and the other communicating with the container (40) Device (6) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that it is a trocar composed of at least one chamfered free end (19, 20, 21) of a tubular duct (16, 17, 18). 1).   The walls of the tubular duct (16, 17, 18) extend along part or all of the height of the duct (16, 17, 18) and the free ends (19, 20, 21) forming the trocar. 7. The device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that it has an axial cut (22, 23, 24) open on it. The applicator member (2) has a plurality of communication ports (13, 14, 15) arranged such that the product is fed over the entire surface (3) of the applicator. 7. The device (1) according to any one of 7 above. Said applicator member (2) has a feature that the sintered member fees, full elutriation, and a thermoplastic or elastically compressible material of a thermally compressed foam, such as elastically compressible material A device (1) according to any of the preceding claims. The applicator member (2) is made of a product permeable membrane (50 ), nylon , polyamide, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, plush loop, velor woven or non-woven, or porous film. 10. The device (1) according to claim 9.   11. The surface (3) of the applicator is provided with irregularities that massage the application surface and / or promote the penetration of the product into the application surface. Device (1).   12. A container (40) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (40) is made of at least partly flexible material so as to facilitate the discharge of the product by the pressure applied to the wall of the container. Device (1). Container (40) is formed of a thermoformed container of the semi-transparent, it opening, which is closed by a thin film formed of a sheet of composite material having a A aluminum or at least one metal layer and the thermoplastic plastic layer Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that Thermoforming containers are polypropylene, apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that it consists of any of the polyvinyl chloride and acrylonitrile copolymer (1). Said first fastening means (8) second securing means (34) Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that cooperating by a screw or telescoping (1). 6. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the mounting member (30) is formed of an element capable of gripping the device.   17. The device (1) according to claim 16, wherein the mounting member (30) comprises a ring-shaped element (30) capable of accommodating the container (40). Use of the device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 17,
Placing the container (40) in which the internal seal (42) is disposed on the second securing means (33, 34);
  Attaching the second fixing means (33, 34) in which the container (40) is disposed to the first fixing means (7, 8) provided on the support member (6),
  Accordingly, the inner seal (42) is torn by the opening members (19, 20, 21) provided on the support member (6), and the product discharged from the inside of the container through the communication ports (13, 14, 15) is turned into hair. Usage method applied to etc.

Images