U.S. patent application number 09/877191 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-13 for applicator, in particular mascara brush.
Invention is credited to Fitjer, Holger H..
Application Number | 20010050089 09/877191 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7942705 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010050089 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fitjer, Holger H. |
December 13, 2001 |
Applicator, in particular mascara brush
Abstract
In an applicator, in particular a mascara brush, comprising a
plurality of bristles that are secured between at least two twisted
wires, it is provided, with a view to the possibility of
implementation of completely new properties without the need of
giving up the proven manufacturing processes and associated
equipment, that in addition to the bristles a stiffening element is
provided that extends in the region of the freely projecting
bristles and is interspersed with the bristles.
Inventors: |
Fitjer, Holger H.;
(Muenchen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
7942705 |
Appl. No.: |
09/877191 |
Filed: |
June 11, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 9/12 20130101; A46B
2200/1053 20130101; A46B 3/18 20130101; A45D 40/267 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/218 |
International
Class: |
A45D 040/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 9, 2000 |
DE |
200 10 384.9 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An applicator, in particular a mascara brush, comprising a
plurality of bristles that are secured between at least two twisted
wires, wherein in addition to the bristles (2) a stiffening element
(7) is provided that extends in the region of the freely projecting
bristles and is interspersed with the bristles (2).
2. An applicator according to claim 1, wherein the stiffening
element (7) is designed like a helical spring.
3. An applicator according to claim 2, wherein the diameter of the
helical spring (7) is smaller than or equal to the diameter of the
trim formed by the bristles (2).
4. An applicator according to claim 1, wherein a container is
provided for mascara fluid to be applied and on the container
opening a wiper device with wiper lips (10) that incorporate a free
passage for the brush, wherein the diameter of the free passage of
the wiper lips (10) is.ltoreq.the diameter of the stiffening
element (7).
5. An applicator comprising a stiffening element according to claim
1, wherein the stiffening element (7) at the same time also
functions as the applicator.
6. An applicator according to claim 4, wherein the stiffening
element (7) has a supporting core.
7. An applicator according to claim 5, wherein the stiffening
element (7) is designed self-supporting.
8. An applicator according to claim 7, wherein a central stem
functioning as an inner wiper is provided that extends through the
stiffening element (7) when the applicator is not in use.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention is directed to an applicator, in
particular a mascara brush, comprising a plurality of bristles that
are secured between at least two twisted wires.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] Applicators of this type are used for many application
purposes. One important area is the application of mascara fluid to
the eyelashes, or of hair dyes to hair.
[0005] With mascara brushes of this type it is particularly
important that they posses sufficient transfer capacity to remove a
specific amount of mascara fluid from a reservoir container during
each immersion and apply it to the eyelashes, and this application
shall be even and without clumping, and the lashes shall be combed
and separated in the course of the application.
[0006] To adapt the applicators to a given very specific
composition and viscosity of the mascara fluid or to attain certain
make-up results, numerous modifications are known concerning the
selection of the bristles and the bristle composition.
Specifically, it is known to mix hard and soft bristles and/or to
create the trim from short and long bristles so that one portion of
the bristles can assume particularly application functions and
another portion can assume particularly combing functions. The
possible modifications in such conventional applicators are
limited, however, for production-related reasons.
[0007] The diameters of conventional bristles are within a range
from 3 mils upward.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] With this as the point of departure, the invention has as
its object to improve an applicator of the above type in such a way
that completely new properties can be implemented without having to
give up the proven manufacturing processes and associated
equipment.
[0009] This object is met according to the invention in such a way
that, in addition to the bristle trim, a stiffening element is
provided that extends in the region of the freely projecting
bristles and is interspersed with the bristles. This stiffening
element is advantageously designed like a helical spring that may
be composed particularly of metal or plastic, and the diameter of
which is smaller than the diameter of the bristle trim. The
cross-section of the helical spring may be round or, in deviation
there from, rectangular.
[0010] A spring element of this type reinforces a conventionally
twisted applicator in such a way that both a small number, as well
as very fine and soft filaments may be used, which could not
fulfill the required application and especially combing properties
without such a stiffening element. The combing function in
particular is significantly increased by the relative hardness
created by the spring coils.
[0011] The inventive design furthermore makes it possible to work
with a small number of and/or thin filaments and, with concurrent
use of thicker wire diameters for the wire center, to enlarge the
wire core for the applicator in its diameter, whereby the previous
undesirable build-up of mascara compound around the wire core of
the applicator can be countered successfully as the individual
bristle spirals, which are then situated further apart, are
stabilized by the elastic spring element between every two adjacent
spirals. This reduces a clumping and smearing build-up of mascara
compound around the wire core, as well as deposits of unused
compound.
[0012] An inventive applicator of this type can be adapted to the
given specific application purpose far better than conventional
types since the design, diameter and strength of the spring element
can also be varied now via the previously known parameters
concerning the properties of the twisted wire and bristles as
such.
[0013] A secondary solution provides for the use of an inventive
helical stiffening element itself as an applicator, i.e., without
an associated brush. Conceivable designs include both those with a
supporting core, as well as those in which the spring element has a
sufficient inherent stiffness so that a core is not required.
[0014] In the latter design it is advantageous to provide a central
stem in the reservoir container originating from its bottom, in
order to prevent an excessive take-up of mascara compound in the
interior of the helical element, i.e., a type of inner wiper is
provided.
[0015] The invention will be explained in detail below based on a
preferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawing, which shows a
schematic section through an inventive applicator with a stiffening
element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0016] An applicator 1 in the form of a mascara brush shown in the
drawing comprises a plurality of bristles 2 or a band of bristles,
which are secured in a wire core 3 that is formed by two twisted
wires.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] A free end 4 of the wire core 3 that has not bristle trim is
fixed in a cutout 5 of a wand 6.
[0018] An inventive stiffening element 7, in the exemplary
embodiment, is designed as a helical spring. In the variant shown
in the upper portion of the drawing, a helical spring of metal is
provided that has a wire with a round cross-section, whereas a
plastic helical spring having a rectangular "wire cross-section" is
used in the embodiment shown in the lower portion of the drawing.
Furthermore, the diameter of the twisted wires is larger in this
embodiment and the bristle trim is less dense.
[0019] The stiffening element has a diameter approximately half as
large as the diameter of the brush 1 and is slipped onto the
applicator 1 after the same has been manufactured in the usual
manner. Preferably this is done, as shown in the upper half of the
drawing, with a frictional engagement on a tapered section 8 of the
wand 6.
[0020] On the reservoir container for mascara fluid, which is not
shown in the drawing, a wiper 9 is provided with elastic wiper lips
10 in such a way that the diameter of the free passage between the
wiper lips 10 is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the
stiffening element 7.
* * * * *