U.S. patent application number 10/503335 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-07 for twisted wire mascara brush with mixed long and short bristles.
Invention is credited to Dunton, David P., Vasas, Martin M.
Application Number | 20050145262 10/503335 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27663166 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050145262 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dunton, David P. ; et
al. |
July 7, 2005 |
Twisted wire mascara brush with mixed long and short bristles
Abstract
A mascara brush has long and short bristles extending from a
twisted wire core. The short bristles may be provided in more than
one length. The tips of the long bristles form an outer surface of
the brush, and the tips of the short bristles form at least one
subsurface of the brush. The mascara brush is made by placing long
and short fibers between the parallel wires of a "U" shaped wire
form, and twisting the wire form. The wires are supported for
placement in the wire form by a pick bar, the notches of which are
partially filled with long fibers and partially filled with short
fibers. The long and short fibers are provided from at least two
fiber feed towers. A metering plate under one feed tower partially
restricts the volume of the notches of the pick bar, so that the
tower only partially fills the notches. A lift cam under the other
fiber feed tower selectively supports fibers from entering the
notches of the pick bar, so that the pick bar can be passed under
the tower to the other tower for partial filling.
Inventors: |
Dunton, David P.;
(Stratford, CT) ; Vasas, Martin M; (Fairfield,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WARE FRESSOLA VAN DER SLUYS &
ADOLPHSON, LLP
BRADFORD GREEN BUILDING 5
755 MAIN STREET, P O BOX 224
MONROE
CT
06468
US
|
Family ID: |
27663166 |
Appl. No.: |
10/503335 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
January 30, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US03/02740 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60353036 |
Jan 30, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 3/18 20130101; A46B
2200/1053 20130101; A46B 9/021 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/218 |
International
Class: |
A45D 040/26 |
Claims
1. A mascara brush comprising: A) a twisted wire core; B) first and
second pluralities of interspersed fibers secured in the twisted
wire core, each fiber forming two bristles extending outwardly from
the twisted wire core to respective bristle tips; and C) the
bristles including long bristles formed by the first plurality of
fibers and short bristles formed by the second plurality of fibers,
the tips of the long bristles forming an outer surface of the brush
and the tips of the short bristles forming at least one subsurface
of the brush.
2. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and
second pluralities of interspersed fibers are substantially the
same length and are respectively offset with respect to the twisted
wire core such that each fiber forms a long and a short
bristle.
3. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first
plurality of fibers forms the long bristles of the mascara brush
and the second plurality of fibers are shorter than the first
plurality of fibers and form the short bristles of the mascara
brush.
4. A mascara brush as defined in claim 3, wherein the second
plurality of shorter fibers is centered with respect to the twisted
wire core.
5. A mascara brush as defined in claim 3, wherein the second
plurality of shorter bristles is offset with respect to the twisted
wire core, wherein the brush includes a first set of short bristles
having tips forming a first subsurface of the mascara brush and a
second set of short bristles having tips forming a second
subsurface of the mascara brush.
6. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a
third plurality of fibers interspersed with the first and second
pluralities of fibers, each fiber of the third plurality of fibers
also forming two bristles extending outwardly from the twisted wire
core to respective bristle tips.
7. A mascara brush as defined in claim 6, wherein the first
plurality of fibers forms the long bristles of the mascara brush,
and the second and third pluralities of fibers are shorter fibers
of different lengths and form the short bristles of the mascara
brush.
8. A mascara brush as defined in claim 7, wherein the second and
third pluralities of short bristles are centered with respect to
the twisted wire core.
9. A mascara brush as defined in claim 7, wherein at least one of
the second and third pluralities of fibers is offset from the
twisted wire core and thereby forms short bristles of different
lengths.
10. A mascara brush as defined in claim 7, wherein there are at
least four pluralities of fibers, each plurality of fibers forming
bristles extending outwardly from the twisted wire core to bristle
tips, wherein the bristle tips form an outer surface and multiple
subsurfaces of the mascara brush.
11. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein the short
bristles have lengths in the range of 30% to 80% of the lengths of
the long bristles.
12. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two of
the pluralities of fibers are formed of different material.
13. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two of
the pluralities of fibers have different diameters.
14. A mascara brush as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two of
the pluralities of fibers have different cross-sectional
configurations.
15. A method of making a mascara brush comprising the steps of: A)
providing two substantially parallel wires; B) positioning a first
plurality of fibers between the two wires; C) positioning a second
plurality of fibers between the two wires and interspersed with the
first plurality of fibers; D) twisting the two wires to form a
twisted wire core with each fiber forming two bristles extending
from the twisted wire core to respective tips; and E) the fibers
being positioned between the two wires such that the bristles
extending from the twisted wire core include long bristles the tips
of which form an outer surface of the mascara brush and short
bristles the tips of which form at least one subsurface of the
mascara brush.
16. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 15 and
further comprising positioning first and second pluralities of
fibers of substantially the same length offset with respect to each
other and the two substantially parallel wires.
17. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 15,
wherein the first plurality of fibers are longer than the second
plurality of fibers.
18. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 17,
wherein the first and second pluralities of fibers are positioned
centered with respect to the two substantially parallel wires.
19. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 15 and
further comprising the step of positioning a third plurality of
fibers between the two substantially parallel wires, wherein the
first plurality of fibers are long fibers, the second plurality of
fibers are short fibers, and the third plurality of fibers are
short fibers shorter than the second plurality of fibers.
20. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 17,
wherein all the pluralities of fibers are positioned centered with
respect to the two substantially parallel wires.
21. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 19
wherein at least one of the pluralities of short fibers is offset
with respect to the two substantially parallel wires.
22. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 15,
wherein positioning the pluralities of fibers between the two
substantially parallel wires comprised of supporting the fibers in
a pick bar and introducing the two substantially parallel wires
respectively above and below the pluralities of fibers supported in
the pick bar.
23. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 22,
wherein the two substantially parallel wires are a "U" shaped wire
form and the step of twisting the two substantially parallel wires
includes clamping the "U" in a twisting apparatus.
24. A method of making a mascara brush as defined in claim 15,
wherein the respective pluralities of fibers have different
physical characteristics.
25. Apparatus for making mascara brushes comprising: A) A first
fiber tower for dispensing fibers; B) A second fiber tower for
dispensing fibers different than the fibers dispensed by the first
fiber tower; C) a pick bar having notches for receiving fibers, and
means for sequentially positioning the pick bar under the first and
second fiber towers; D) a metering plate positioned under the first
and second fiber tower and adjacent the pick bar when the pick bar
is positioned under first the fiber tower, the metering plate
positioned to permit fibers to partially fill the notches of the
pick bar, wherein the pick bar is partially filled with fibers from
the first fiber tower and is further partially filled with
different fibers when positioned under the second fiber tower; E)
means for introducing two substantially parallel wires respectively
above and below the fibers in the pick bar; and F) means for
twisting the two substantially parallel wires to form a brush.
26. Apparatus for making a mascara brush as defined in claim 25 and
further comprising: G) a fiber lift cam for lifting fibers being
dispensed from the second fiber tower, wherein the fiber lift cam
is operable to prevent the pick bar from receiving fibers from the
second fiber tower until it has received fibers from the first
fiber tower.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application 60/353,036 filed Jan. 30, 2002.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention herein relates to a mascara brush with a
mixture of long and short bristles substantially uniformly deployed
along a twisted wire core, wherein the mascara brush has an outer
surface defined by tips of the long bristles and one or more
subsurfaces defined by the tips of the short bristles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Mascara brushes are used to apply mascara to eyelashes and
to comb and shape the eyelashes. Thus, the mascara brush must
perform multiple functions. First, the mascara brush must pick up
mascara from a mascara bottle and carry it to the eyelashes. The
mascara brush generally passes through a wiper, and the physical
characteristics of the mascara brush must cooperate with the wiper
so that the mascara brush is loaded with an appropriate amount of
mascara. Next, the mascara brush is used to apply and spread the
mascara on the user's eyelashes. Then the mascara brush is used to
separate and comb the bristles, and further spreading of the
mascara along to the eyelashes occurs in this operation. The steps
of applying and spreading, separating and combing may be repeated
without reloading the mascara brush, provided the mascara brush is
capable of carrying a sufficient amount of mascara.
[0004] The type, size, disposition and other characteristics of the
bristles determine how well the mascara brush performs its desired
function. It has been found desirable to provide mascara brushes
with bristles of different lengths to achieve the functions
described above.
[0005] A mascara applicator with bristles with different lengths is
disclosed in Fitjer U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,665. The mascara brush of
the '665 patent is formed by offsetting fibers in a "U" shaped wire
form, i.e. the fibers are positioned so that a portion of the fiber
forming a short bristle extends one way from the "U" shaped wire
form and a portion of the fiber forming long bristle extends the
other way from the "U" shaped wire form. The "U" shaped wire form
is then twisted to form the twisted wire core of the brush. This
results in a mascara brush with a first helix of short bristles and
a second, adjacent helix of long bristles. While the mascara brush
has the desired feature of a mixture of long and short bristles,
the bristles are divided into two distinct helixes of long and
short bristles rather than being uniformly distributed throughout
the brush. This brush also affords no opportunity to vary the size
or other characteristics of the long bristles and the short
bristles, since one fiber integrally forms both a long bristle
extending one way from the twisted wire core and a short bristle
extending oppositely from the twisted core.
[0006] Neuner U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,583 discloses a mascara brush
with multiple length fibers. This brush is made by placing fibers
between the parallel wire segments of a "U" shaped wire form and
twisting the parallel wire segments to hold the fibers and form
bristles extending outwardly, all of which are long bristles.
Thereafter, a groove or series of grooves are cut or ground into
the partially formed brush, thereby creating some shorter bristles.
The parallel wire segments are then further twisted to complete the
formation of the twisted wire core with shorter bristles disbursed
amongst the longer bristles. Clearly, a vestige of the groove or
grooves remains even after the stem is further twisted, wherein the
long and short bristles cannot be uniformly distributed along the
stem. Also, by cutting a longitudinal groove across the helically
deployed bristles, bristles of varying lengths are created, i.e.
the resultant brush is made up of long bristles and shorter
bristles of varying lengths, especially depending on the width of
the groove cut to form them. This method provides no way to make a
brush with short bristles having different characteristics than the
long bristles.
[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an improved mascara brush
that incorporates both long and short bristles, without the
drawbacks of the prior art attempts to make such a brush.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] It is a principal object of the invention herein to provide
an improved mascara brush having long and short bristles.
[0009] It is an additional object of the invention herein to
provide an improved mascara brush having long and short bristles
that are evenly distributed throughout the brush.
[0010] It is also an object of the invention herein to provide a
mascara brush that has long bristles and has short bristles of
different lengths distributed throughout the brush.
[0011] It is a further object of the invention to provide a mascara
brush that has an outer surface and a plurality of inner surfaces
formed by the tips of shorter bristles.
[0012] It is another object of the invention herein to provide a
mascara brush wherein the tips of long bristles form an outer
surface of the brush, and the tips of short bristles form an inner
surface of the brush.
[0013] It is a further object of the invention herein to provide a
mascara brush with long and short bristles wherein the long and
short bristles have differing characteristics, such as differing
diameters, materials, or other characteristics.
[0014] It is another principal object of the invention to provide a
method of making a mascara brush with the features set forth
above.
[0015] It is a further principal to provide apparatus for making a
mascara brush with the features set forth above.
[0016] In carrying out the invention herein, there is provided a
mascara brush having a twisted wire core. A plurality of fibers are
captured by the twisted wire core, the twisted wire core dividing
each fiber into two bristles extending generally oppositely from
the twisted wire core. The bristles include long bristles having
tips defining the outer surface of the brush, and short bristles
having their tips below the outer surface of the brush. The long
bristles and the short bristles are substantially uniformly
distributed along the twisted wire core. According to one aspect of
the invention, the short bristles are substantially the same
length, and the tips of the short bristles form a subsurface of the
brush displaced inwardly from the outer surface.
[0017] According to additional aspects of the invention, the long
bristles are formed from long fibers, each long fiber forming two
long bristles extending from the core, and the short bristles are
formed from short fibers, each short fiber forming two short
bristles extending from the core. According to another aspect of
the invention, fibers forming short bristles are offset with
respect to the twisted wire core to provide a plurality of
subsurfaces.
[0018] The invention is also carried out by selecting a ratio of
long and short bristles, and by selecting the kinds of fibers from
which the long and short bristles are formed. According to a
particular feature of the invention, the short bristles are formed
from fibers that are stiffer than the longer bristles, and the
greater stiffness may be achieved by use of larger diameter fibers
for the short bristles, fibers of stiffer material for the short
bristles, or solid fibers for the short bristles when the hollow
fibers constitute the long fibers. Alternatively, the long bristles
may be stiffer than the short bristles.
[0019] In further carrying out the invention herein, each fiber may
be offset in the twisted wire core to form one long bristle and one
short bristle. A plurality of fibers are captured in the twisted
wire core in two groups, one group having its long fibers extending
in a first direction and the other group having its short fibers
extending in the same first direction. The fibers of the two groups
are substantially uniformly intermixed along the twisted wire core,
so that the long and short fibers are also uniformly distributed
along the twisted wire core.
[0020] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the long
bristles and the short bristles may each comprise bristles of
different characteristics, such as material, size or
configuration.
[0021] The invention herein also resides in a method of
manufacturing a mascara brush having long and short bristles
uniformly distributed along a twisted wire core, the method
including preparing a pick bar with notches for collecting fibers
and for presenting the collected fibers to the untwisted "U" shaped
wire form of a twisted wire core. The pick bar is placed under a
first fiber tower and the notches are partially filled with fibers
dimensioned for forming short bristles of the mascara brushes. The
pick bar is then placed under a second fiber tower and long fibers
are added to the short fibers to fill the notches of the pick bar.
The pick bar may also be placed under additional fiber towers to
add fibers having different lengths or other characteristics, and
to place additional fibers in additional extending positions. The
pick bar holds the fibers as they are positioned between the wire
legs of the "U" shaped wire form. The wires are deployed generally
at the center of the fibers, but may also be offset with respect to
some or all of the fibers depending on the loading of the pick bar.
The "U" shaped wire form is then twisted to capture the fibers with
long and short bristles extending therefrom, and with the long and
short fibers substantially uniformly distributed along the twisted
wire core.
[0022] According to additional aspects of the method, the fiber
towers for the long and short fibers are adjacent, and the long
fibers are lifted as the pick bar passes thereunder to a position
under the short fiber tower. A metering plate is positioned with
respect to the notches of the pick bar so that the pick bar is
partially filled with short bristles. The pick bar is then
positioned under the long fiber tower, and the long fibers are
permitted to fill the remainder of the notches of the pick bar.
Additional fiber towers and positions of the metering plate are
used to add additional fibers to the pick bar. The long fibers may
also be loaded first.
[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, the pick bar
is partially filled with fibers having a short portion extending
one way and a long portion extending the other way. Oppositely
offset fibers are then loaded to complete filling of the pick bar.
The fibers are captured in a twisted wire core to provide a mascara
brush with short and long bristles uniformly distributed along its
length.
[0024] The invention also resides in apparatus for carrying out the
foregoing method aspects.
[0025] Other and more specific objects and features of the
invention herein will be understood from the following description
of the preferred embodiments and from the claims, taken together
with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cosmetics container
including a mascara brush according to the invention herein;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mascara
brush FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 3 is an enlarged segmental schematic side elevation
view, partially cut away, of the mascara brush of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view, partially in section and
partially cut away, of the mascara brush passing through the wiper
of the cosmetics container of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially schematic, of a pick
bar used in a method of making mascara brushes according to the
invention herein;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevation view of apparatus for
making mascara brushes according to the invention herein;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the apparatus for making
mascara brushes of FIG. 6;
[0033] FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the apparatus for making
mascara brushes of FIG. 6, showing the pick bar being loaded with
short fibers;
[0034] FIG. 8A is an enlarged segmental view of the pick bar being
loaded with short fibers;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a schematic from view of the apparatus for making
mascara brushes of FIG. 6, showing the pick bar being loaded with
long fibers;
[0036] FIG. 10 is a top view of the pick bar, loaded with long and
short fibers;
[0037] FIG. 11 is a perspective view a "U" shaped wire form having
long and short fibers therebetween, clamped in apparatus for
twisting the wire form and fibers into a mascara brush according to
the invention herein;
[0038] FIG. 12 is a schematic side elevation view, partially cut
away, of another mascara brush according to the invention
herein;
[0039] FIG. 13 is a schematic top view of a pick bar, loaded with
fibers for making the mascara brush of FIG. 12;
[0040] FIG. 14 is a segmental, schematic side evaluation view of
another mascara brush according to the invention herein;
[0041] FIG. 15 is a schematic top view of a pick bar, loaded with
fibers for making the mascara brush of FIG. 14;
[0042] FIG. 16 is a segmental schematic side elevation view of
another mascara brush according to the invention herein;
[0043] FIG. 17 is a schematic top view of a pick bar, loaded with
fibers for making the mascara brush of FIG. 16;
[0044] FIG. 18 is a segmental schematic side elevation view of
another mascara brush according to the invention herein; and
[0045] FIG. 19 is a schematic top view of a pick bar, loaded with
fibers for making the mascara brush of FIG. 18.
[0046] The same reference numerals refer to the same elements
throughout the various figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0047] With reference to FIG. 1, a cosmetics container 1 generally
comprises a mascara brush 10 mounted on an applicator rod 12
extending from a cap 14. The cap 14 fits on the threaded neck 16 of
a bottle 18, which contains a supply of mascara. The applicator rod
12 extends through the neck 16 and the brush 10 is thereby
positioned within the bottle 18 to pick up mascara between uses.
The neck of the bottle has a wiper 20 disposed therein, which is
seen in sectional view in FIG. 4, for removing excess mascara from
the applicator rod 12 and the brush 10 as they are removed from the
bottle 18.
[0048] The mascara brush 10 is also illustrated in FIGS. 2-4. It
has a twisted wire core 22 made up of two wire legs 24 and 26, as
is well known in the art of mascara brushes. Each fiber is captured
between the first and second legs 24 and 26 of the twisted wire
core, which divides each fiber into two bristles extending
oppositely from the twisted wire core 12.
[0049] The mascara brush 10, according to the invention herein, is
characterized by having long bristles, such as long bristles 28 and
30 shown in FIG. 2, the long bristles 28 and 30 being the extending
portions of a single fiber 32. The mascara brush 10 is further
characterized by having a plurality of short bristles, such as
short bristles 34 and 36, which are also the extending portions of
a single fiber 38 captured between the first and second legs of the
twisted wire core 32. As will become more apparent from the
following description of the method of making the mascara brush 10,
the long and short bristles are substantially uniformly distributed
along the length of the twisted wire core 22, such that they are
substantially uniformly distributed throughout the mascara brush
10.
[0050] This is well-illustrated in FIG. 3, where one turn of the
twisted wire stem 22 is shown with alternating long and short
bristles extending from between the two wires 24 and 26. As will be
apparent from the description of the method for making the brush
10, the deployment of long and short bristles may not be precisely
alternating, but is nevertheless substantially uniform in that the
long and short bristles are mixed together in their deployment
between the twisted wires forming the core 22.
[0051] The tips of the long bristles 28, 30, together with the tips
of the other long bristles, form an outer surface 40 of the mascara
brush 10, the outer surface 40 being schematically shown in FIG. 2.
The tips of the short bristles 34 and 36, together with the tips of
the other short bristles, form an inner or subsurface 42 of the
mascara brush 10, also schematically shown in FIG. 2. Because the
long bristles extend further, they are less densely distributed in
the area between the outer surface and subsurface than the total
bristle population within the subsurface 42 of the mascara brush
10. Thus, the longer bristles extending from the subsurface to the
outer surface are well adapted for combing and separating action
with respect to the eyelashes. With reference to FIG. 4, the long
bristles and short bristles are wiped differently as the mascara
brush 10 passes through wiper 20. The long bristles are toward the
outside of the brush, and are wiped more vigorously. The short
bristles are wiped less vigorously, and tend to carry more mascara
for performing the application function of the mascara brush.
[0052] The fibers 32, 38 respectively forming the long bristles 28,
30 and the short bristles 34, 36 may be different. For instance,
the fibers 32 forming the long bristles may be hollow fibers, and
the fibers 38 forming the short bristles may be solid fibers. The
long bristles and short bristles may both be hollow fibers or solid
fibers, but they may be of different diameters and/or materials.
One or both of the long and short bristles may be quadralobal or
have some other distinctive cross section, characteristic or other
physical property. Also, the ratio of the number of long bristles
to the number of short bristles may be varied, and the total number
of combined long and short bristles in the mascara brush may be
varied. Thus, the mascara brush 10 has extremely flexible design
parameters.
[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the fibers forming the long
bristles are 0.005 inch diameter hollow bristles, and the fibers
forming the small bristles are 0.003 inch diameter solid fibers.
Approximately 30 to 35 long fibers and approximately 20 to 25 short
fibers are provided per turn of the twisted wire core 22, wherein
the brush 10 has a total of about 50 to 60 fibers per turn of the
twisted wire core 22. The long fibers are about 0.300 inches long
after trimming, i.e. the brush 10 has a diameter of about 0.300
inches. The twisted wire core is made of 0.029 inch diameter wire,
and has a diameter of about 0.050 inches. Thus, the long bristles
have a length of about 0.125 inches extending from the twisted wire
core. The short bristles are formed of fiber that is about 0.200
inches in length. After deducting the diameter of the twisted wire
core, the short bristles extend about 0.75 inches from the twisted
wire core. Thus, the short bristles may be in a range of 30-80% of
the length of the long bristles, i.e. a "short" bristle is defined
as a bristle having a length of 30% to 80% of a long bristle.
[0054] Because the tips of the short bristles form a subsurface
(shown at 42 in FIG. 2) that is well-adapted for applying mascara
or other cosmetics, it is preferable that the short bristles are
only lightly wiped to remove excess mascara. This is achieved by
coordinating the length of the short bristles and the size of the
wiper so that that diameter of the subsurface is slightly greater
than the size of the wiper orifice.
[0055] As is known in the art, the size of the brush will be varied
depending on the particular application. The brush 10 is useful
when made of short fibers in range of about 0.130-0.230 inches,
long fibers in the range of about 0.200-0.400 inches (after
trimming), and twisted wire cores made from wire in the range of
about 0.022-0.066 inches. These dimensions are not, however,
intended to be all inclusive or limiting.
[0056] The foregoing description of the mascara brush 10 is a
preferred embodiment and is illustrative only. Those skilled in the
art will recognize that the parameters of a mascara brush are
selected to work with a particular mascara product, which itself
has varying properties of viscosity, drying time, and the like.
However, those skilled in the art will also readily recognize that
a brush having a combination of long bristles and short bristles,
the ratio of which can be varied, and where the long bristles and
short bristles may themselves have different sizes, materials and
characteristics, presents numerous opportunities for optimizing the
performance of a mascara brush for use with various mascara
formulations or with other cosmetics. In addition, other preferred
embodiments of mascara brushes in accordance with the invention are
described below.
[0057] FIGS. 5-11 illustrate the method of making the mascara brush
10. Most twisted wire brushes are made on a Zahronski brush making
machines, and the method of making the brush 10 may be carried out
with a Zahronski machine 60, only the relevant portion of which is
shown, and modified as shown in the figures and described
below.
[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates a pick bar 50 for use in the brush making
machine 60. The pick bar 50 is characterized by a series of notches
52, 54, etc. along a top rail 56. The notches 52, 54 are filled
with fibers that become the bristles of the brush. Thus, the width,
depth and spacing of the notches 52, 54 determine how many fibers
will be incorporated into a brush. The notches 52, 54 are typically
in the range of 0.040-0.060 inches deep and 0.030-0.050 inches
wide. They also typically have a spacing between them that may
correspond approximately to their width. The rail 56 is typically
0.050 inches wide. One skilled in the art will appreciate that
these dimensions may be varied as required to make a particular
brush.
[0059] The pick bar 50 defines a ledge 58 adjacent the rail 56, and
spaced below the bottoms of the notches 52, 54. The ledge 58
accommodates one leg of a "U" shaped wire form introduced under
fibers received in the notches 52, 54, as more fully discussed
below. The pick bar in FIG. 5 is shown from the side that can be
said to face inwardly on the brush making machine 60, so that the
ledge 58 is visible in FIG. 5.
[0060] FIGS. 6-9 show elements of the brush making machine 60. In
its usual configuration for making brushes with bristles of the
same length, the machine 60 would be provided with a single fiber
tower for holding the fibers, and would cycle the pick bar under
the tower to collect fibers in the notches of the pick bar.
[0061] To make the brush 10 and other brushes having long and short
bristles, the machine 60 has two fiber towers 64 and 66 extending
upwardly from base 62. The pick bar 50 is cycled under these fiber
towers 64 and 66 in two steps. The first fiber tower 64 is for
short fibers, cut to a length of approximately 0.20 inches or
another desired length for the short fibers. The short fibers are
designated by the number 38, are stacked between side frames 68 and
70 of the first tower 64. The fibers are positioned with respect to
the path of the pick bar by a spacing plate 72, seen in the top
view of the fiber towers provided in FIG. 7. The fiber spacing
plate 72 is positioned on an adjustable tower back wall 74. The
spacing plate 72 compensates for the short length of the fibers 38,
in order to center them with respect to the ledge 58 of the pick
bar 50. This can sometimes be achieved by the adjustable back wall
74.
[0062] The second fiber tower 66 holds long fibers 32a between side
rails 76 and 78. The fibers 32a are cut to a length slightly longer
than the long fibers 32 of the mascara brush 10, and are therefore
given the number 32a, it being understood that the exterior of
mascara brush 10 generally will be trimmed, thereby forming fibers
32 of the finished mascara brush 10. The long fibers 32a are
positioned within the tower by adjustable tower back wall 80
forming the back of the fiber tower 66.
[0063] Vertical fiber tamper 82 is provided for the fiber tower 64
and a similar vertical fiber tamper 84 is provided for the fiber
tower 66. These tampers pack the fibers in the fiber towers and
cause them to feed into the notches of the pick bar 50. With
reference to FIG. 7, the machine 60 is also provided with a
horizontal fiber tamper 86, which operates to maintain the fibers
against the fiber spacing plate 72 and the tower back wall 80.
[0064] The pick bar 50 is reciprocated to be selectively positioned
under the long fiber tower 66 and the short fiber tower 64, in
order to accumulate fibers for making the mascara brush 10. With
reference to FIGS. 6 and 8, the pick bar 50 is moved under the long
fiber tower 66 to reach its position under the short fiber tower
64, where the notches 52, 54 are partially filled with short fibers
38. In order to present the pick bar 50 in an empty condition under
the short fiber tower 64, a fiber lift cam 90 is associated with
the long fiber tower 66 and operates to lift the long fibers 32a
above the pick bar as the notches 52, 54 of the pick bar travel to
their position under the short fiber tower 64. The fiber lift cam
can be seen in position under fibers 32a in FIG. 7, and the fiber
lift cam 90 is shown engaging and lifting the long fibers 32a in
FIG. 8.
[0065] As shown in FIGS. 6-9 and particularly FIGS. 8 and 8A, the
machine 60 is provided with a metering plate 92 which supports the
lower surface of the stack of fibers 38 in the short fiber column
64. The metering plate 92 is adjustably positioned so that the
upper portions of the notches 52, 54 of the pick bar 50 are above
the top surface 94 of the metering plate, and the lower portions of
the notches 52 and 54 are below the top surface 94 of the metering
plate. Thus, short fibers 38 from the short fiber column 64 fill
only the upper portions of notches 52, 54, in order to partially
fill the pick bar 50 with short fibers. It will be appreciated that
the metering plate 92 may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly in
order to control the number of short fibers 38 loaded into the pick
bar 50, and therefore also adjust the ratio of short fibers to long
fibers in the finished mascara brush 10.
[0066] As the pick bar 50 is retracted from the metering plate 92,
the short fibers 32 fall into the bottoms of notches 52, 54 such
that the notches are only partially filled. With reference to FIG.
9, the pick bar 50 is next positioned under the long fiber column
66, with the fiber lift cam 90 retracted. The long fibers 32a are
thereby loaded into the remaining space in notches 52, 54, etc. of
the pick bar 50. If desired, the long bristles 32a may be loaded
into the pick bar 50 first; however, in utilizing the machine 60
described herein, it is more advantageous to apply the lift cam 90
to the longer bristles.
[0067] A scraper 96 is provided at the lower end of sidewall 68 of
the short fiber column 64. The scraper 96 engages the rail 56 of
the pick bar, and removes any excess fibers stacked above the
notches 52 and 54 that could adversely affect the desired ratio of
short fibers to long fibers as the pick bar moves from under short
fiber column 64 to a position under long fiber column 66.
[0068] With reference to FIG. 10, the pick bar 50 is shown from a
top view, with short fibers 38 and untrimmed long fibers 32a shown
loaded in the notches 52, 54, etc. The short fibers 38 are centered
over the ledge 58 of the pick bar 50. As is well known in the brush
making art, a "U" shaped wire form 100 as seen in FIG. 11 has its
first leg 24 inserted along the ledge 58, under the fibers 32 and
38a, and its parallel second leg 26 positioned over the fibers. The
"U" shaped wire form and the fibers are transferred to a twisting
station, schematically shown in FIG. 11, wherein the tip of the
wire form 100 is captured in a clamp 102, and the two legs are
captured in a motorized chuck 104. The motorized chuck 104 is
operated to twist the wire form 100 into a twisted wire core 22,
capturing the fibers 32a, 38 therebetween. The long fibers 32a are
then trimmed to provide the outer surface 40 of the finished
mascara brush 10.
[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 11, when the fibers 32a, 38 are
removed from the notches of the pick bar 50 and positioned between
the parallel legs 24, 26 of the "U" shaped wire form 100, the long
fibers and short fibers are intermixed and become substantially
uniformly distributed along the length of the wire form. When the
wire form 100 is twisted to form the twisted wire core 22 of the
brush 10, the long and short fibers remain substantially uniformly
distributed along the length of the brush. While it is not possible
to place the fibers with one long fiber alternating with one short
fiber in every instance, the way the fibers are accumulated in the
pick bar and thereafter handled in accordance with usual brush
making techniques results in a mascara brush that has no
concentrations of long bristles or short bristles, which can
therefore be said to be substantially uniformly distributed along
the length of the brush.
[0070] With reference to FIG. 12, another mascara brush 110
according to the invention herein is schematically illustrated. The
mascara brush 110 has short bristles 112, 114 and 116, etc., and
long bristles 120, 122 and 124, etc., that are captured in a
twisted wire core 130. As with brush 10 described above, the brush
110 is characterized in that the long and short bristles are
interspersed along the length of the brush. The mascara brush 110
differs from the mascara brush 10 described above in that a single
fiber forms a long bristle and a short bristle, for example, the
short bristle 112 and the long bristle 120 are formed by a single
fiber 132 captured in the twisted wire core 130.
[0071] With respect to FIG. 13, the mascara brush 110 is made by
loading fibers 132, 134 into the notches 52, 54, etc. of pick bar
50. The fibers 132 have a long end extending to one side of the
pick bar 50. These fibers may be placed in the pick bar at one
fiber tower of the modified Zahronski machine 60 described above,
with the back wall adjusted as required for the desired placement.
The other fibers 134 have a long end extending to the opposite side
of the pick bar 50, and may be placed in the pick bar at the other
fiber tower of the modified Zahronski machine. A "U" shaped wire
form 100, not shown in FIG. 13, has one leg inserted below the
fibers on ledge 58 of the pick bar and one leg positioned above the
fibers. The "U" shaped wire form is twisted to form the twisted
wire core 130 that separates the fibers into long and short
bristles, the long ends of the fibers being trimmed as
required.
[0072] The mascara brush 110 has an outer surface formed by the
tips 134 of the long bristles 120, 122, 124 and a subsurface formed
by the tips 136 of the short bristles 112, 114, 116, and has its
long and short bristles substantially evenly distributed along the
length of the brush. Because each long bristle and short bristle
are made from one fiber, the mascara brush 110 lacks some of the
flexibility of design choice of the mascara brush 10 described
above, although it should be noted that because the pick bar 50 is
loaded from two fiber tower stations, the mascara brush 110 can be
made from a mixture of two kinds of fibers. Therefore, the mascara
brush 110 has improved features that are useful for many
applications.
[0073] FIG. 14 shows another mascara brush 140 according to the
invention herein. The mascara brush 140 has long bristles 142,
first short bristles 144, and second short bristles 146. Thus, the
mascara brush 14 is characterized by having three surfaces, namely,
an outer surface defined by the tips 143 of the long bristles 142,
a first subsurface defined by the tips 145 of the first short
bristles 144, and a second subsurface defined by the tips 147 of
the second short bristles 146. The first short bristles 144 are
about 75-80% of the length of the long bristles 142, and the second
short bristles are about 35-40% of the length of the long bristles
142.
[0074] The brush 140 with its three surfaces is advantageous in
that the long bristles forming the outer surface are useful in
combing eyelashes. The first subsurface formed by the first short
bristles 144 provides a good application surface, and the second
subsurface formed by the second short bristles 146 supports mascara
product more closely adjacent the application surface formed by the
surface formed by the first short bristles 144 such that the
mascara product is drawn to and dispensed from the first short
bristles 144. The bristles 142, 144 and 146 of the mascara brush
140 extend from a twisted wire core 141, and it will be appreciated
that one partial helix of the mascara brush 140 is shown
schematically in FIG. 14 for claritive illustration, but that the
mascara brush is actually a fill and bushy brush.
[0075] FIG. 15 illustrates the method of fabricating the mascara
brush 140, wherein long fibers 150 are placed in the notches of
pick bar 50, substantially centered on ledge 58 of pick bar 50
except for any excess length to be trimmed upon completion of the
fabrication of the brush. Thus, each long fiber 50 forms two long
bristles 142. Short fibers 152 are also placed in the notches of
the pick bar 50, but are off center with respect to the ledge 58 of
the pick bar 50. Therefore, the longer portion of the fibers 152
form the first short bristles 144, and the second, shorter portion
of the fibers 152 extending the other way from the picker bar form
the second short bristles 146. It will be appreciated that the
fibers 150 and 152 are loaded on the pick bar 50 at two fiber
towers of a modified Zahronski brush-making machine. The mascara
brush 140, by virtue of the first short bristles and second short
bristles being formed from one fiber, and with an approximately
even mix of long and short fibers being placed in the pick bar 50,
results in the outer surface of the brush being defined by the most
tips, and the inner surfaces being defined by approximately half as
many bristle tips. Noting that the outer surface has a greater
diameter and therefore more surface area, there is less disparity
between the numbers of bristle tips per unit of surface area. This
indicates another aspect of the design flexibility achieved by
placing two lengths of fiber in the pick bar to fabricate a mascara
brush.
[0076] With reference to FIG. 16, another mascara brush 160
according to the invention is illustrated. FIG. 16 is also
schematic in that a portion of one helix of the brush 160 is shown,
and it will be appreciated that the brush 160 in its entirety is a
fully bristled mascara brush similar in general appearance to the
brush 10 of FIG. 1. The mascara brush 160 is comprised of a twisted
wire core 162, from which extend long bristles 164, first short
bristles 166, and second short bristles 168. Thus, the mascara
brush 160 has an outer surface defined by the tips 165 of the long
bristles 164, a first subsurface formed by the tips 167 of the
first short bristles 166, and a second subsurface formed by the
tips 169 of the second short bristles 168.
[0077] The structure and method of manufacture of the brush 160 is
illustrated in FIG. 17, showing a pick bar 50 having notches 52,
54, etc. The pick bar is used with a modified Zahronski machine
having three fiber towers, which place long fibers 170, first short
fibers 172, and second short fibers 174 in the notches 52 and 54 of
the pick bar 50 in a desired ratio. All of the fibers are
substantially centered with respect to the parallel wires of a wire
form introduced to the ledge of the pick bar 50 and twisted to form
the twisted wire core 162. Thus, the long fiber 170 forms two long
bristles 164, the first short fiber 172 forms two of the first
short bristles 166, and the second short fiber 174 forms two second
short bristles 168.
[0078] As with the cosmetics brushes described above, the fibers
170, 172 and 174 may each have different characteristics, such as
material, diameter, hollow center, quadralobal or other cross
sections and the like, providing a substantial range of design
parameters for adapting the cosmetics brushes for myriad
applications. It will also be appreciated that one or both of the
short fibers 172, 174 could be offset with respect to the core 162,
providing one or two additional subsurfaces of the cosmetics brush
160.
[0079] With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, a mascara brush 180
according to the invention herein is illustrated. The mascara brush
180 is characterized by being made of four fiber lengths captured
between a twisted wire core 182. Therefore, the mascara brush 180
has long bristles 184, the tips 185 of which form an outer surface
of the brush. The mascara brush 180 has first short bristles 186,
the tips 187 of which form a first subsurface of the mascara brush
180. A third subsurface of the mascara brush 180 is formed by the
tips 191 of third short bristles 190.
[0080] With reference to FIG. 19, the long bristles 184 are formed
from long fibers 194 placed in notches of the pick bar 50, the
first short bristles 186 are formed from first short fibers 196
placed in the notches of the pick bar, the second short bristles
188 are formed from second short fibers 198 placed in the pick bar
150, and the third short bristles 190 are formed by third short
fibers 200 placed in the notches of the pick bar 50. It will be
appreciated that the Zahronski machine used to make the mascara
brush 180 is modified to have four fiber towers respectively
loading the four fiber lengths to the pick bar 50, with metering
plates adjusting the relative amounts of each of the four lengths
of fibers that are loaded into the pick bar.
[0081] It will be appreciated, however, that the fibers are
dispersed substantially evenly along the length of the twisted wire
brush.
[0082] For the mascara brush 180, the fibers are centered with
respect to the wire form used to create the twisted wire core 182,
thereby creating a brush with an outer surface and three
subsurfaces. It will, however, be appreciated that one or more of
the short fibers could be offset with respect to the wire form,
wherein the mascara brush 180 would have additional subsurfaces. As
with the above brushes, the characteristics of the fibers may be
different providing a wide range of design parameters of the
cosmetics brush.
[0083] Accordingly, mascara brushes have been described which are
useful for many applications and offer the brush designer a
multitude of possible combinations of features for adapting the
mascara brush to a particular mascara or other cosmetics product or
application. It will be appreciated that the embodiments described
herein are illustrative only, and that various changes and
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention, which is limited only by the following
claims.
* * * * *