U.S. patent application number 11/238361 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-06 for cosmetic brush comprising bristles having external depressions.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. Invention is credited to Norbert Kuno Dionys Dumler, Bernard Ekkehard Fellner, Bryan Michael Kadlubowski, Paul Alan Sheppard.
Application Number | 20060070635 11/238361 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35613855 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060070635 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dumler; Norbert Kuno Dionys ;
et al. |
April 6, 2006 |
Cosmetic brush comprising bristles having external depressions
Abstract
A cosmetic brush and a process of making same. The brush
comprises a substantially longitudinal stem and a plurality of
bristles, each bristle extending from a base associated with the
stem and terminating with a free end, each bristle having external
walls and a longitudinal axis, the brush further having a major
axis disposed along the stem, wherein the plurality of bristles
comprises selected bristles, each of the selected bristles having
at least one external depression oriented in a direction
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the selected
bristle. The process comprises the steps of forming a hollow stem
from a first moldable material; providing a plurality of
bristle-forming channels surrounding and abutting the hollow stem,
each of the bristle-forming channels, the plurality of
bristle-forming channels comprising selected bristle-forming
channels having at least one protuberance; injecting a second
moldable material into the hollow stem under pressure sufficient to
rapture the hollow stem in predetermined locations corresponding to
the bristle-forming channels and to fill the bristle-forming
channels with the second moldable material; and solidifying the
second moldable material.
Inventors: |
Dumler; Norbert Kuno Dionys;
(Ansbach, DE) ; Sheppard; Paul Alan; (New Freedom,
PA) ; Kadlubowski; Bryan Michael; (Manchester,
MD) ; Fellner; Bernard Ekkehard; (Ansbach,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
WINTON HILL TECHNICAL CENTER - BOX 161
6110 CENTER HILL AVENUE
CINCINNATI
OH
45224
US
|
Assignee: |
The Procter & Gamble
Company
Cincinnati
OH
|
Family ID: |
35613855 |
Appl. No.: |
11/238361 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60615864 |
Oct 1, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/218 ;
15/187 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 2200/1053 20130101;
A46D 1/00 20130101; A46B 2200/106 20130101; A46D 1/0238 20130101;
A45D 40/26 20130101; A46B 9/021 20130101; A46B 1/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/218 ;
015/187 |
International
Class: |
A45D 40/26 20060101
A45D040/26; A46B 1/00 20060101 A46B001/00 |
Claims
1. A cosmetic brush comprising a substantially longitudinal stem
and a plurality of bristles, each bristle extending from a base
associated with the stem and terminating with a free end, each
bristle having external walls and a longitudinal axis, the brush
further having a major axis disposed along the stem, wherein the
plurality of bristles comprises selected bristles, each of the
selected bristles having at least one external depression oriented
in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of
the selected bristle.
2. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the selected bristle has
a generally oblong shape in a cross-section perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the selected bristle.
3. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the external walls of
the at least some bristles comprise a surface selected from the
group consisting of a flat surface, a convex surface, a concave
surface, or any combination thereof.
4. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
external depression extends from the base of the selected bristle
to the free end thereof.
5. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
external depression extends from the base of the selected bristle
toward the free end thereof but does not reach the free end of the
selected bristle.
6. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
external depression extends from the free end of the selected
bristle toward the base thereof but does not reach the base of the
selected bristle.
7. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
external depression is disposed intermediate but reaches neither of
the base and the free end of the selected bristle.
8. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristles have
differential lengths.
9. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the ends of at least
three bristles consecutively disposed next to one another in a
cross-section of the brush form a line selected from the group
consisting of a straight line, a concave line, a convex line, or
any combination thereof, the cross-section of the brush being
perpendicular to the major axis.
10. The brush according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the
bristles gradually taper from the base towards the free end.
11. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of at
least some of the bristles have a concave depression therein.
12. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axes
of at least some of the bristles and the major axis of the brush
are mutually perpendicular.
13. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the brush is made by a
process including injection molding.
14. A process for making a cosmetic brush comprising a
substantially longitudinal stem and a plurality of bristles
extending therefrom, the process comprising steps of: (a) providing
a hollow stem from a first moldable material; (b) providing a
plurality of bristle-forming channels surrounding and abutting the
hollow stem, each of the bristle-forming channels terminating with
an end and having a length, the plurality of bristle-forming
channels comprising selected bristle-forming channels, each of the
selected bristle-forming channels having at least one protuberance
therein; (c) injecting a second moldable material into the hollow
stem under pressure sufficient to rapture the hollow stem in
predetermined locations corresponding to the bristle-forming
channels and to fill the bristle-forming channels with the second
moldable material so that the second moldable material assumes the
shape of the bristle-forming channels; (e) solidifying the second
moldable material disposed in the bristle-forming channels thereby
forming the plurality of bristles of the brush being made, wherein
the plurality of bristles comprises selected bristles formed in the
selected channels and having at least one external depression
thereon.
15. The process according to claim 14, wherein in the step of
providing a plurality of bristle-forming channels, the
protuberances are disposed along the length of the selected
bristle-forming channels.
16. The process according to claim 14, wherein in the step of
providing a plurality of bristle-forming channels, the
protuberances are disposed at the free end of the selected
bristle-forming channels.
17. The process according to claim 14, wherein the step of
providing a plurality of bristle-forming channels comprises a step
of providing a plurality of plates disposed side-by-side
consecutively in an abutting relation to one another, wherein
mutually abutting plates have surface patterns that form, in
combination, a desired profile of the bristle-forming channels.
18. The process according to claim 14, wherein in the step of
forming a hollow stem from a first moldable material and in the
step of injecting a second moldable material, the first moldable
material and the second moldable material are identical.
19. The process according to claim 14, wherein in the step of
forming a hollow stem from a first moldable material and in the
step of injecting a second moldable material, the first moldable
material and the second moldable material differ from one
another.
20. The process according to claim 14, further comprising a step of
filling the hollow stem with a third moldable material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/615,864, filed Oct. 1, 2004.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a cosmetic brush, and more
specifically, to a brush comprising bristles having external
depressions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Plastic brushes are known in the art. Several international
applications describe brushes made by the injection molding process
and the processes therefore. Examples include: WO 02/03831 A1,
titled Method and Device For Producing Bristle Products and Bristle
Products; assigned to Coronet-Werke GmbH of Germany, German patent
application DE 10201635.6, titled Method and Device For the
Production of Bristles, assigned to Coronet-Werke GmbH of Germany;
German patent application DE 10212701.8, titled Bristle, Method and
Device For Its Production and Bristle Product, assigned to
Coronet-Werke GmbH of Germany; and German patent application
10221869.2, titled Method of Manufacturing a Bristle Structure on a
Carrier, assigned to Coronet-Werke GmbH of Germany, the disclosures
of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0004] Generally, plastic brushes can be made by a two-step
process. First, a hollow core having a multiplicity of orifices
through its surface can be formed from a first plastic material.
Second, a second plastic material can be injected, under pressure,
into the hollow core, so that the escaping (or "extruded") through
the recesses soft plastic forms individual bristles as the second
material solidifies. The first and second materials can be
identical, or different. The position of the orifices and their
shapes can be chosen to define the position of the bristles and
their cross-sectional configuration.
[0005] Now, it has been discovered that cosmetic brushes, such, for
example, as those used for mascara application to eye lashes, can
be improved by providing, at least partially, individual bristles
that have a concave portion thereon. It is believed that such a
brush will deliver a more refined application of liquid mascara to
the lashes and reduce the potential for the lashes to "stick" to
one another when the liquid mascara is applied to the lashes.
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention provides a cosmetic brush
comprising a plurality of bristles, wherein selected bristles have
at least one external depression oriented in a direction parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the selected bristle, and the process
for making such a brush.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A cosmetic brush of the present invention comprises a
substantially longitudinal stem and a plurality of bristles
extending therefrom. Each bristle has a base associated with the
stem and a free end opposite to the base. Each bristle has external
walls and a longitudinal axis oriented along the length of the
bristle. The walls of the bristle can be concave, round, planar, or
convex. The brush as a whole has a major axis disposed along the
stem of the brush.
[0008] According to the present invention, at least some of the
bristles, termed herein as "selected bristles," have at least one
external depression in their walls. The depression of each of the
selected bristles is oriented in a direction substantially parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the bristle.
[0009] The selected bristle can have any suitable shape in its
cross-section perpendicular to the bristle's longitudinal axis. For
example, the selected bristle can have a cross-section that
includes oblong, polygon, circular, curbed, rhombic, trapezoid, or
any other shape.
[0010] The number of the depressions per bristle can also vary. For
example, the bristle can have on, two, three, four, and more
depressions. In one embodiment, the depression or depressions
extend through the entire length of the selected bristle. In
another embodiment, the depression or depressions extend only
through a portion of the selected bristle. In still another
embodiment, the depression is located at the free end of the
selected bristle.
[0011] In the selected bristles having more than one depression,
the location of the depressions may vary. For example, in the
selected bristles having two depressions, the depressions can be
located opposite to each other. In the selected bristle having
three or four depressions, the depressions can be spaced
substantially equidistantly from one another, as viewed in the
cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the
selected bristle.
[0012] The bristles may have differential lengths. In one
embodiment, for example, the lengths of the bristles are such that
the ends of several bristles consecutively disposed next to one
another, as viewed in a cross-section of the brush perpendicular to
the major axis, form an imaginary line that is straight. In another
embodiment, such a line can be concave or convex.
[0013] The bristles may be made to gradually taper from the base
towards the free end. Alternatively, the bristles may have a
generally uniform thickness (with the exception of the selected
bristles cross-sections of which are at least partially affected by
the longitudinal depression), or taper from the free ends towards
the bases of the bristles.
[0014] In one embodiment, the ends of at least some of the
bristles, either selected or otherwise, have concave depression.
Those depressions are different and distinct from the depressions
in the walls of the bristles, for the depressions in the free ends
of the bristles are not disposed longitudinally in relation to the
longitudinal axes of the bristles.
[0015] The longitudinal axes of the bristles and the major axis of
the brush can be mutually perpendicular. The embodiment is
contemplated in which those are not mutually perpendicular, i.e.,
the axes of at least some of the bristles and the major axis of the
brush form an obtuse angle or angles therebetween.
[0016] The brush of the present invention can be made by a process
that includes a so called "injection molding" technique, i.e., a
process wherein a molten material is injected, under pressure, into
a closed form having a cavity of a desired shape, to fill the
cavity, cooled to solidify in the cavity, and released from the
cavity. Several patents documents listed herein above and
incorporated by reference describe the injection molding process in
sufficient detail.
[0017] More specifically, the process for making the cosmetic brush
of the present invention comprises the steps of forming a hollow
stem from a first moldable material; providing a plurality of
bristle-forming channels surrounding and abutting the hollow stem,
each of the bristle-forming channels terminating with an end and
having a length, the plurality of bristle-forming channels
comprising selected bristle-forming channels, each of the selected
bristle-forming channels having at least one protuberance therein;
injecting a second moldable material into the hollow stem under
pressure sufficient to rapture the hollow stem in predetermined
locations corresponding to the bristle-forming channels and to fill
the bristle-forming channels with the second moldable material so
that the second moldable material assumes the shape of the
bristle-forming channels; and solidifying the second moldable
material disposed in the bristle-forming channels thereby forming
the plurality of bristles of the brush being made, wherein the
plurality of bristles comprises selected bristles formed in the
selected channels and having at least one external depression
thereon.
[0018] The protuberances can be disposed along the length of the
selected bristle-forming channels and/or at the end of the selected
bristle-forming channels, depending on a desired configuration of
the bristles being formed. The bristle-forming channel can be
formed, for example, by a plurality of plates disposed
consecutively adjacent to one another, wherein mutually adjacent
plates have surface patterns that form, in combination, a desired
profile of the bristle-forming channel.
[0019] The step of forming a hollow stem from a first moldable
material can be accomplished by injecting the first moldable
material under pressure into a support form structured to form the
hollow stem. The first moldable material and the second moldable
material may be identical or, alternatively, may differ from one
another.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a brush according
to the invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the brush of FIG. 1,
taken along lines 2-2; and
[0022] FIGS. 3 to 6 are perspective views of various embodiments of
the selected bristles of the brush of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the
bristle having a depression intermediate the base of the bristle
and the end thereof.
[0024] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment
of a support form that can be used for making the brush of the
present invention by extrusion molding.
[0025] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional and partial view of
the form shown in FIG. 8, taken along lines 9-9, and showing a
cross-section of a selected bristle-forming channel having a
protuberance therein.
[0026] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along
lines 10-10 of FIG. 9, and showing a plan view of one embodiment of
the protuberance of the bristle-forming channel.
[0027] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of
the bristle-forming channels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a brush 10 of the present
invention comprising a substantially longitudinal core, or stem,
260 having a longitudinal, or major, axis A, and a plurality of
bristles 50 extending therefrom. Each bristle has a base associated
with the stem and a free end opposite to the base. Each bristle has
external walls and a longitudinal axis B oriented along the length
of the bristle (FIG. 5). The walls of the bristle 50 can be
concave, round, planar, or convex, FIGS. 3-5.
[0029] The embodiment of FIG. 1 also has an optional stem 20 that,
via an optional locking groove 30, can be attached to a handle (not
shown). The brush 10 may be trimmed, to change the length of some
bristles or otherwise form a particular configuration of the brush
10 in a cross-section perpendicular to the major axis A. For
example, FIGS. 2 shows that the trimming can be made to comprise an
envelope curve 60 of approximately triangular shape with rounded or
skewed corners 70 so that the bristles 50 have differential
lengths. The same effect can be achieved by using a process of the
present invention, and without trimming, as will be discussed in
more detail below.
[0030] According to the present invention, at least some of the
bristles 50 have at least one external depression 120 in their
walls. These bristles are termed herein as "selected bristles,"
because the process of the present invention (described herein
below) allows one to design what bristles should be structured to
have at least one external depression. The depressions of the
selected bristles can be oriented in a direction parallel to the
longitudinal axes B of the bristles, or, alternatively or
additionally, can be disposed at free ends of the bristles.
[0031] Bristles 50 can comprise bristles having a generally round
cross-section (FIGS. 4 and 6), bristles 50b having a generally
oblong, or elongated, cross-section (FIGS. 3 and 5), or bristles
having any other suitable general cross-section, for example,
polygonal. As used herein, the term "oblong" refers to a
geometrical shape that generally has unequal dimensions in two
mutually perpendicular directions. The selected bristle can have
any suitable shape in its cross-section perpendicular to the
bristle's longitudinal axis. For example, the selected bristle can
have a cross-section that includes oblong, polygon, circular,
trapezoid, or any other shape.
[0032] The number of the depressions 120 per the selected bristle
can vary. For example, the selected bristle can have one, two,
three, four, and more depressions 120. In the selected bristles
having more than one depression 120, the location of the
depressions may vary. For example, in the selected bristles having
two depressions 120, the depressions can be located opposite to
each other, FIGS. 3 and 5. In the selected bristle having three,
four, or more depressions 120, the depressions can be spaced
substantially equidistantly from one another, as viewed in the
cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis B of the
selected bristle (FIGS. 3-5) or can be differentially spaced from
one another (not shown). In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3-5, the
depressions 120 extend through the entire length of the selected
bristle. In other embodiments, the depression or depressions 120
can extend only through a portion of the selected bristle, as
shown, for example, in FIG. 7. The depression can extend from the
base of the selected bristle and terminate before it reaches the
free end of the selected bristle; or the depression can extend from
the free end of the selected bristle and terminate before it
reaches the base of the selected bristle. The embodiment is
contemplated in which the selected bristle has more than one
depression wherein at least one depression extends through the
entire length of the bristle, and the other depression or
depressions extends only through a portion of the length of the
bristle in any manner described herein above.
[0033] The bristles 50 may have differential lengths. In one
embodiment, for example, the lengths of the bristles 50 are such
that the ends of several bristles consecutively disposed next to
one another, as viewed in a cross-section of the brush
perpendicular to the major axis A, form an imaginary line that is
straight (FIG. 3, line 60). In another embodiment, such a line can
be concave (not shown) or convex (FIG. 3, line 70). Thus, in its
cross-section perpendicular to the major axis A, the brush may or
may not be circumferentially symmetrical.
[0034] The bristles 50 can be made to gradually taper from the base
towards the free end (FIGS. 1-6). Alternatively, the bristles 50
may have a generally uniform thickness (with the exception of the
selected bristles, cross-sections of which are at least partially
affected by the longitudinal depression), or taper from the free
ends towards the bases of the bristles 50 (not shown).
[0035] In one embodiment, the ends of at least some of the bristles
50 have concave depression 110, FIG. 4. Those concave depressions
110 are different and distinct from the depressions 120 in the
walls of the bristles, for the depressions 110 in the free ends of
the bristles 50 are not disposed longitudinally in relation to the
longitudinal axes B of the bristles 50. In some embodiments of the
brush of the present invention, the selected bristles can have both
the longitudinal depression or depressions 120 and the concave
depression 110 at the free end of the selected bristle.
[0036] The longitudinal axes B of the bristles 50 and the major
axis A of the brush 10 can be mutually perpendicular. The
embodiment is contemplated, however, in which those are not
mutually perpendicular, i. e., the axes B of at least some of the
bristles 50 and the major axis A of the brush 10 form acute or
obtuse angle or angles therebetween (not shown).
[0037] The brush of the present invention can be made by using a
technique known as "injection molding." Injection molding is, in
essence, a process wherein molten plastic is deposited under
pressure, or injected, into a closed form having a cavity of a
desired shape, to fill the cavity, then cooled to solidify in the
cavity, and then released from the cavity. One skilled in the art
will appreciate that using the injection molding process, it is
possible to form virtually any desired configuration of the
bristles, including the selected bristles of the present invention.
In addition, the injection molding technique allows one to control
the length of individual bristles, so that trimming of the finished
brush may not be needed in order to form a certain cross-sectional
profile of the brush, as shown, for example, in FIG. 2.
[0038] The brush of the present invention can be made by an
injection-molding process, for example, using a multi-component
molding injection machine 200, schematically shown in FIG. 8.
First, a hollow stem 260 is provided. The hollow stem 260 can be
made from any suitable material, for example, plastic or resin such
as polypropylene, and may include any suitable thermoplastic or
thermosetting materials. The hollow stem 260 can be formed by
injection-molding or any other means known in the art. As an
example, in FIG. 8, the hollow stem 260 is formed and disposed in
the injection machine 200. The hollow stem 260 may comprise any
suitable shape in its cross-section perpendicular to the major
axis, for example, cylindrical (shown in the exemplary embodiment
of FIG. 1), rectangular, triangular, polygonal, or any combination
thereof, or any other shape, including irregular geometric shape
(not shown).
[0039] A plurality of bristle-forming channels 250 is provided. The
bristle-forming channels 250 are disposed so that their entrances
abut the hollow stem 260 in predetermined locations in which the
bristles 50 of the brush being constructed should be disposed after
the brush has been constructed. The overall configuration and
geometry of the bristle-forming channels 250 corresponds to the
desired overall geometry and configuration of the brush being made.
Each of the bristle-forming channels 250 terminates with an end and
has a predetermined length. Depending on the size and length of the
bristle-forming channels 250, the bristle-forming channels 250 can
be made by any means known in the art, for example using
conventional drilling techniques, laser, chemical erosion, wire
electrical discharge machine (EDM), or any other suitable means.
The bristle-forming channels 250 can be formed, for example, by a
plurality of coated plates 300 (FIG. 11) disposed consecutively
adjacent to one another, wherein mutually adjacent plates 300 have
surface patterns that form, in combination, a desired profile of
the bristle-forming channels 250.
[0040] In accordance with the present invention, the plurality of
bristle-forming channels 250 include selected bristle-forming
channels 250a, i.e., the channels that are structured to form the
selected bristles having at least one external depression 120
thereon, as described herein above. For this purpose, each of the
selected bristle-forming channels 250a has at least one
protuberance 290 therein. The protuberance or protuberances 290 can
be disposed along the length of the selected bristle-forming
channel 250a, at the end of the selected bristle-forming channels
250a, or both, depending on a desired configuration of the selected
bristle being formed.
[0041] In the next step, a second moldable material 270 is
injected, under pressure, into the hollow stem, to form the
bristles (FIG. 8). The second moldable material can comprise the
material identical to the first moldable material, or,
alternatively, may differ therefrom. Only for the purposes for
example, the second moldable material can comprise any suitable
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), such as, for example,
styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymer. The
pressure under which the second moldable material 270 is injected
should be sufficient to rapture the hollow stem 260 and form
perforations in locations corresponding to the bristle-forming
channels 250 and further to fully fill the bristle-forming channels
250 with the second moldable material 270 so that the second
moldable material 270 assumes the shape of the bristle-forming
channels 250. These perforations formed in the stem 260 serve, in
effect, as spinnerets for the second moldable material. The second
moldable material 270 that fills, under pressure, the selected
bristle-forming channels 250 forms the selected bristles that have
external depressions described herein above, the depressions being
a "negative" of the protuberances 290 of the selected
bristle-forming channels 250a.
[0042] After the second moldable material 270 solidify in the
bristle-forming channels 250, the brush comprising the stem 260 and
the plurality of bristles 50 extending therefrom can be released
from the injection machine. If the plurality of plates 300 is used
to form the bristle-forming channels 250, the plates 300 can be
moved apart from one another, thereby releasing the formed bristles
50.
[0043] If desired, an optional step of injecting a third moldable
material 280 (FIG. 8) into the hollow stem 260 to fill the stem
260, can be used. When the process is completed, the bristles 50
are integrally bound to the third material 280 that has filled the
stem 260. The third moldable material can comprise a material
identical to at least one of the first moldable material or the
second moldable material, or can be chose to be different from
either the first moldable material and the second moldable
material.
[0044] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference;
the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission
that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.
[0045] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is, therefore, intended to cover in the appended
claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope
of this invention.
* * * * *