U.S. patent application number 15/608610 was filed with the patent office on 2017-09-14 for device for dispensing artificial eyelashes.
The applicant listed for this patent is ALBEA SERVICES. Invention is credited to Osvaldo Uresti.
Application Number | 20170258163 15/608610 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50290089 |
Filed Date | 2017-09-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170258163 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Uresti; Osvaldo |
September 14, 2017 |
Device for Dispensing Artificial Eyelashes
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for dispensing artificial
eyelashes, comprising a housing equipped with a dispensing region,
a carrier to which a plurality of artificial eyelashes grouped into
units using a connecting strip is fixed, a movement mechanism
capable of being actuated to cause movement of the carrier in order
to convey the artificial eyelashes towards the dispensing region
and to allow the artificial eyelashes to exit through said
dispensing region, said eyelashes being oriented transversely to an
axis of extension of the carrier, at least when they are passing
through said dispensing region, wherein said connecting strip is
positioned to the side beyond said carrier.
Inventors: |
Uresti; Osvaldo; (Paris,
FR) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ALBEA SERVICES |
Gennevilliers |
|
FR |
|
|
Family ID: |
50290089 |
Appl. No.: |
15/608610 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14580384 |
Dec 23, 2014 |
|
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15608610 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G 5/0086 20130101;
A41G 5/00 20130101; A41G 5/004 20130101; A45D 44/00 20130101; A41G
5/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41G 5/00 20060101
A41G005/00; A41G 5/02 20060101 A41G005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 31, 2013 |
FR |
1363731 |
Claims
1. Device for dispensing artificial eyelashes, comprising a housing
equipped with a dispensing region, a carrier to which a plurality
of artificial eyelashes is fixed, and a movement mechanism capable
of being actuated to cause movement of the carrier in order to
convey the artificial eyelashes towards the dispensing region and
to allow the artificial eyelashes to exit through said dispensing
region, each artificial eyelash comprising a unit of eyelashes
interconnected at one end by a connecting strip; said connecting
strip positioned to the side beyond said carrier, said eyelashes
being oriented transversely to an axis of extension of the carrier,
at least when they are passing through said dispensing region,
wherein the eyelashes of one of said units of eyelashes are
oriented in the opposite direction to the preceding and/or
subsequent unit of eyelashes along the carrier.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said eyelashes are curved
so as to be able to fit closely to the curvature of natural
eyelashes, each artificial eyelash being positioned on said carrier
in the region of the middle of the eyelashes in the longitudinal
direction thereof.
3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a
strip, said eyelashes being positioned on said strip.
4. Device according to claim 3, wherein said strip comprises an
adhesive region or a plurality of separate adhesive regions.
5. Device according to claim 4, wherein each of said adhesive
regions is an adhesive strip positioned along the carrier.
6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said adhesive strip, of
which one is provided, is located substantially along a central
axis of said strip.
7. Device according to claim 5, wherein said adhesive strips, of
which two are provided, are located along two longitudinal edges of
said strip.
8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism
comprises a reel that is rotatably mounted relative to the housing,
said carrier being wound around said reel so as to be gradually
unwound by the eyelashes exiting, said reel having a winding
surface which is intended for receiving said eyelashes, said
winding surface being provided with a curvature that is
substantially identical to the curvature of the eyelashes.
9. Assembly for applying artificial eyelashes, comprising: at least
one device according to claim 1, a bottle of an adhesive capable of
applying adhesive to units of eyelashes, and a bottle of a product
capable of dissolving said adhesive.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/580,384, filed Dec. 23, 2014, which claims priority to
French Application Serial No. 1363731, filed on Dec. 31, 2013. The
above-identified applications are incorporated by reference herein
in their entirety.
[0002] The invention relates to the field of applying make-up, more
particularly to the eyes, by adding artificial eyelashes to the
natural eyelashes that are more commonly referred to as `false
eyelashes`.
[0003] The invention more specifically relates to a device for
dispensing artificial eyelashes.
[0004] Artificial eyelashes are generally used to increase the
volume, the length or the lustre of natural eyelashes, or to give
the face an aesthetic and decorative feature in the same way as a
piece of jewellery, for example.
[0005] Artificial eyelashes are generally sold in the form of
units, each unit comprising a fringe of eyelashes and a connecting
strip holding the eyelashes together at their base, the other end
of the eyelashes being free. These units can be sold in pairs in
conventional boxes which have only changed slightly since they were
first used.
[0006] These boxes do not have any particular aesthetic or fun
aspects for the consumer which may attract them to one product over
another. Indeed, the companies selling these boxes can only
distinguish them from other products by colour variations, and
cannot give boxes for artificial eyelashes original features in
terms of design or function which truly identify the brand of the
eyelashes.
[0007] Furthermore, these boxes are not very practical as they only
provide limited quantities of units of artificial eyelashes,
typically a single pair, and this tends to increase the volume
occupied by such a box as well as the price of the pair of units of
eyelashes sold. These two factors tend to limit the purchase of
large quantities of artificial eyelashes.
[0008] Moreover, applying units of eyelashes to the eyelids is a
delicate operation. First, the user has to apply adhesive to the
connecting strip. They must then apply the connecting strip, which
has adhesive applied thereto, along the edge of the eyelid at the
roots of the natural eyelashes.
[0009] There is therefore a need to propose housings that allow a
large number of units of artificial eyelashes to be stored in a
limited space.
[0010] There is also a need to propose housings for artificial
eyelashes that allow artificial eyelashes to be handled easily and
quickly using a gesture that is gentle on the eye and that allows
the user to control the application operations, in particular when
looking in a mirror.
[0011] The problem addressed by the invention is that of overcoming
the above-mentioned drawbacks and proposing for this purpose a
device for dispensing artificial eyelashes, comprising a housing
equipped with a dispensing region, a carrier to which a plurality
of artificial eyelashes is fixed, and a movement mechanism capable
of being actuated to cause movement of the carrier in order to
convey the artificial eyelashes towards the dispensing region and
to allow the artificial eyelashes to exit through said dispensing
region, said eyelashes being oriented transversely, in particular
orthogonally, to an axis of extension of the carrier, at least when
they are passing through said dispensing region, or all the way
along said carrier.
[0012] Owing to the carrier and to its movement mechanism, the user
can have a large number of eyelashes available that can be easily
dispensed from the housing. In addition, the orientation of the
eyelashes allows the housing to be brought closer to the eye in a
transverse manner, which would be perceived as a gesture that is
less aggressive compared with an application movement in the line
of sight. It should also be noted that such a configuration allows
the housing to be held when applying the eyelashes, making it
possible for the user to look in a mirror, since the housing, while
being close to the eye, is not or is only slightly in the line of
sight.
[0013] The eyelashes are preferably grouped into units of
eyelashes, in particular using a connecting strip.
[0014] Advantageously, said connecting strip is positioned to the
side beyond said carrier, such that said carrier is not an obstacle
to applying the units of eyelashes to the eyelid.
[0015] According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the
eyelashes of one of said units of eyelashes are oriented in the
opposite direction to the preceding and/or subsequent unit of
eyelashes along the carrier.
[0016] Such a feature makes it possible to arrange first and second
categories of units of eyelashes, corresponding to each of the two
orientations given to said units of eyelashes, the first category
allowing easier application of the eyelashes to the right eye and
the second category allowing easier application of the eyelashes to
the left eye, by holding the housing in the corresponding hand and
using a symmetrical gesture.
[0017] Said units of eyelashes are advantageously arranged
alternately in each of said orientations, in order to make up one
eye and then the other with each use.
[0018] According to different embodiments, which may be taken
together or separately: [0019] said eyelashes are curved so as to
be able to fit closely to the curvature of natural eyelashes,
[0020] each eyelash is positioned on said carrier in the region of
the middle of the eyelashes in the longitudinal direction thereof,
[0021] the carrier comprises a strip, said eyelashes being
positioned on said strip, [0022] said strip comprises an adhesive
region or a plurality of separate adhesive regions, [0023] the
adhesive region/regions comprise(s) an adhesive coating on the
carrier strip, [0024] each of said adhesive regions is an adhesive
strip positioned along the carrier, [0025] said adhesive strip, of
which one is provided, is located substantially along a central
axis of said strip, [0026] said adhesive strips, of which two are
provided, are located along two longitudinal edges of said strip,
[0027] the adhesive strip/strips is/are continuous or in the form
of a succession of adhesive points, [0028] the movement mechanism
comprises a reel, which is rotatably mounted relative to the
housing, [0029] said carrier is wound around said reel so as to be
gradually unwound by the eyelashes exiting, [0030] said reel has a
winding surface intended for receiving said eyelashes, said winding
surface being provided with a concave or convex curvature that is
substantially identical to the curvature of the eyelashes, [0031]
said movement mechanism is configured so that the movement of the
carrier causes said carrier to be unwound from the reel, [0032] the
mechanism for moving the carrier comprises: [0033] a spool that is
rotatably mounted relative to the housing, [0034] an actuation
means for rotating the spool, allowing the carrier to be wound
around the spool, the winding of the carrier strip around the spool
causing the movement of the carrier, [0035] the housing comprises
an opening and the actuating means comprises a scroll wheel which
can be operated via the opening, [0036] the movement mechanism
further comprises a deflecting element arranged close to the
dispensing region, [0037] said units of eyelashes are the same
length, taken along their connecting strip; in other words, they
have substantially the same number of eyelashes, [0038] the
dispensing region comprises a dispensing opening located on a side
of the housing, [0039] said dispensing opening extends in parallel
with said carrier, advantageously over at least the length of the
longest of said units of eyelashes, [0040] the edges of the
dispensing opening form tweezers together with the walls of the
housing, allowing said eyelashes to be gripped and removed from the
carrier, [0041] said tweezers are designed to allow the eyelashes
to be held after removal, in order to make it easier to apply
adhesive to the eyelashes and/or to apply said eyelashes.
[0042] The invention also proposes an assembly for applying
artificial eyelashes, the assembly comprising: [0043] at least one
device according to any of the preceding claims, [0044] a bottle of
an adhesive capable of applying adhesive to units of eyelashes, and
[0045] a bottle of a product capable of dissolving said
adhesive.
[0046] It is thus possible to provide a housing allowing a large
number of units of artificial eyelashes to be stored and allowing
these units to be dispensed as required. In addition, the way the
user handles the device gives applying artificial eyelashes a fun
aspect, the device being simple and innovative in its operation
compared with the boxes that are conventionally used in this
field.
[0047] Other features, aims and advantages of the invention will
become clearer from the following description, which is given
purely by way of illustrative and non-limiting example and should
be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0048] FIG. 1 is a front view of a device for dispensing artificial
eyelashes according to an embodiment of the invention,
[0049] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device from
FIG. 1,
[0050] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device from FIG. 1,
[0051] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device from
FIG. 1,
[0052] FIGS. 5a and 5b are schematic longitudinal sections through
a distal end of a dispensing device according to the invention in
two different configurations,
[0053] FIGS. 6a and 6b are schematic plan views of two embodiments
of the carrier of a dispensing device according to the
invention,
[0054] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the carrier and an
element of the movement mechanism of a dispensing device according
to the invention.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 1, the invention relates to a device for
dispensing artificial eyelashes.
[0056] This device 1 comprises a housing 10, preferably made of a
plastics material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE),
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN)
or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate
glycol-modified (PETG), Surlyn.RTM. resin or polyoxymethylene
(POM). The housing may also be made of metal, such as aluminium,
Zamak, etc.
[0057] This housing 10 may be opaque, or by contrast may be
transparent, so that the elements that it contains can be seen.
[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 10 is provided with a
dispensing region 11, provided in this case by an opening in the
housing, through which the eyelashes 41 exit in order to be used by
an individual. Said device also comprises, inside the housing 10, a
carrier 30, shown by the dashed line and designed in this case in
the form of a strip to which the eyelashes 41 are fixed. Still
inside the housing 10, said device also comprises a movement
mechanism capable of being actuated in order to cause the strip 30
to move to convey the eyelashes 41 towards the dispensing opening
11. Said device is thus configured to allow artificial eyelashes 41
to exit through the dispensing opening 11 as a result of the
movement of the strip 30.
[0059] According to the invention, said eyelashes 41 are oriented
transversely to an axis of extension of the carrier 30, at least
when they are passing through said dispensing region 11. In this
case, they are more particularly oriented orthogonally to the axis
of extension of said strip 30, preferably all the way along said
carrier. Such an orientation of the eyelashes allows the eyelashes
to be handled in order for adhesive to be applied thereto and/or
for them to be applied using a simple and intuitive gesture.
[0060] On the strip 30, the eyelashes are advantageously grouped
together in the form of units 40 of eyelashes.
[0061] The fixing of the units to the strip 30 is preferably
ensured by an adhesive coating on the strip, the coating having
properties suitable for allowing the units 40 that are to be
dispensed to be removed without damaging the eyelashes 41.
[0062] Each unit 40 of eyelashes may comprise a fringe of eyelashes
41 and a connecting strip 42. The eyelashes are interconnected at
one end, preferably their base, by the connecting strip 42, the
other end being free.
[0063] The artificial eyelashes 41 and the connecting strip 42 are
made of synthetic fibres, typically polybutylene terephthalate
(PBT), and are rigidly connected to the connecting strip 42 by any
known method, for example they may be bonded to or integrally
formed with the connecting strip. They may also be sewn to the
connecting strip or welded thereto.
[0064] Advantageously, said connecting strip 42 is positioned to
the side beyond said carrier 30. This makes it easier to apply
adhesive to the eyelashes and/or to apply said eyelashes to the
eyelids.
[0065] According to a preferred aspect of the invention, which can
be better seen in FIG. 7, the eyelashes of one of said units 40 of
eyelashes are oriented in the opposite direction to the preceding
and/or subsequent unit 40 of eyelashes along the carrier. Such a
change in orientation advantageously takes place for each unit 40
of eyelashes, such that said units 40 of eyelashes are alternately
oriented in one direction and the other.
[0066] Such a feature allows a unit 40 of eyelashes intended for
the right eye to be handled, and then for the subsequent unit 40 of
eyelashes intended for the left eye (or vice versa) to be handled
using symmetrical gestures with the corresponding hands. The user
therefore does not have to get around the obstacle formed by the
nose in at least one of the cases.
[0067] The strip 30 may have a plurality of separate adhesive
regions, said regions being for example covered with an adhesive
coating, the remainder of the strip not being adhesive.
[0068] As shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, each of said adhesive regions
is formed for example by an adhesive strip 200 positioned along the
carrier.
[0069] In FIG. 6a, said adhesive strips 200, of which two are
provided, are located along two longitudinal edges 202, 204 of said
strip.
[0070] In FIG. 6b, said adhesive strip 200, of which one is
provided, is located substantially along a central axis of said
strip 30 of the carrier.
[0071] Said adhesive strips 200 are, for example, continuous, as in
this case, or are in the form of a succession of adhesive points
(this variant is not shown).
[0072] The dispensing units 40 are advantageously bonded to said
adhesive regions, in the region of the middle of the eyelashes in
the longitudinal direction thereof, so as to bond neither the ends
of the eyelashes nor the connecting strip, the artificial eyelashes
in this case having an intrinsic curvature, as natural eyelashes
do. For example, if the eyelashes are 10 mm long, the units of
eyelashes may have adhesive applied thereto over a strip of 5 mm
that is in the centre over half the length of the eyelashes.
[0073] This has several advantages: the ends of the eyelashes are
kept separate from one another so that they do not alter the look
of the eyelashes once they are in place on the user's eye. Indeed,
the residue of adhesive on the units of eyelashes is reduced
compared with completely bonding the eyelashes, and in particular,
each free end of the eyelashes is not stuck to the adjacent
eyelash. The aesthetics of the units of eyelashes are therefore
maintained.
[0074] Finally, since the eyelashes are held by the middle of their
length on the strip, their ends protrude less than they would if
the eyelashes were fixed to the strip by the other end.
[0075] In other words, there is a height H between the end of the
eyelashes of a unit and the strip 30 which is reduced compared with
the same height H' if the units of eyelashes were bonded to the
strip 30 in the region of the connecting strip.
[0076] Consequently, the ends of the eyelashes are not in contact
with a wall of the housing 10 when the eyelashes are moved in the
dispenser and can therefore be freely moved in the dispenser.
[0077] The units 40 of eyelashes are preferably regularly
distributed over the carrier strip 30 such that they are spaced
apart by a constant interval between two consecutive units.
Typically, this interval may be between 5 and 20 mm.
[0078] Typically, the eyelashes have a length L of between 8 and 15
mm, preferably equal to 10 mm.
[0079] The width of the housing may moreover advantageously be
adapted such that the eyelashes do not come into contact with the
sides 300 of the housing. In other words, the inner walls of said
sides are spaced apart by a distance that is greater than the
length of the eyelashes 41 taken together with their connecting
strip 42.
[0080] As for the units 40 of eyelashes, they have a width l that
depends on the number of eyelashes. They are all preferably of the
same width.
[0081] The dispensing opening 11 is located for example on the
lateral sides 300 of the housing. Said dispensing opening extends
in particular in parallel with said strip 30 of the carrier, over
at least the length of the longest of said units of eyelashes, for
example over a length allowing a plurality of units of eyelashes to
appear through said opening 11.
[0082] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a single unit 40 of eyelashes is shown,
whereas in FIG. 3, three units 40 of eyelashes are shown. In FIGS.
1 and 3, it is noted that the eyelashes 41 project from the sides
of the housing 10.
[0083] For this purpose, said housing has, for example, a reduced
thickness at the end of said dispensing region 10, substantially
corresponding in this case to the width of the carrier strip 30. In
other words, said lateral sides have a shoulder 302 which make the
distal end of the housing 10 substantially beak-shaped.
[0084] As seen in FIG. 2, the movement mechanism comprises a reel
20, which is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 10. A first
longitudinal end of the carrier strip 30 is fixed to the reel, and
a part 31 of the strip, to which the units of artificial eyelashes
to be dispensed are fixed, is wound around the reel 20. The reel 20
is therefore positioned upstream of the dispensing opening 11, and
may even form the starting point of the path of the strip.
[0085] The part 31 of the strip that is wound around the reel forms
a reserve of units of eyelashes 40. More particularly, the
dimensions of the device 1 may allow several metres of carrier
strip 30 to be wound, for example between 0.5 and 2 metres of
strip, thereby allowing between 60 and 180 units of artificial
eyelashes to be stored. This allows a user to have approximately 10
to 30 days' worth of artificial eyelashes. The dispensing device 1
thus allows a considerable number of units of artificial eyelashes
to be stored, unlike the conventional boxes, and indeed in a highly
compact manner, owing to the strip being wound around the reel.
[0086] The reel 20 is in the form of a cylinder having a circular
cross section, the cylinder being movable in rotation about its
axis of revolution and having a length that is greater than or
equal to the width of the carrier strip 30. This allows the carrier
strip 30 to rest satisfactorily on the outer surface of the
cylinder 20.
[0087] The reel may be made of the same material as the housing
10.
[0088] As can be seen particularly clearly in FIG. 7, said reel 20
may have a winding surface 220 which is intended to receive said
eyelashes, said winding surface being provided with a curvature
which is concave in this case and is substantially identical to the
curvature of the eyelashes. In a variant, said winding surface may
be convex. In this way, the eyelashes are prevented from being
squashed on the reel.
[0089] If reference is again made to FIG. 2, it is noted that the
mechanism for moving the carrier strip 30 further comprises a spool
21 that is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 10. The spool
21 is downstream of the dispensing opening 11 on the path of the
strip.
[0090] The second longitudinal end of the carrier strip 30 that is
not fixed to the reel is fixed to the spool 21, and a part 33 of
the strip, from which the units of eyelashes have been removed, is
wound around the spool.
[0091] In a similar manner to the reel 20, the spool 21 is in the
shape of a cylinder having a circular cross section, the cylinder
being movable in rotation about its axis of revolution and having a
length that is greater than or equal to the width of the carrier
strip 30. This allows the carrier strip 30 to rest satisfactorily
on the outer surface of the spool 21.
[0092] The spool 21 may be made of the same material as the housing
10.
[0093] The reel 20 and/or the spool 21 may comprise lateral flanges
allowing said strip 30 to be guided.
[0094] An intermediate part 32 of the carrier strip 30, located
between the part 31 wound around the reel 20 and the part 33 wound
around the spool 21, passes close to the dispensing opening 11.
[0095] This part 32 is supported on a deflecting element 24, which
is in this case in the form of an end of a rib 25 for guiding said
strip 30. This deflecting element 24 is arranged close to the
dispensing opening 11, that is to say at a distance from the
dispensing opening that is less than the width of the units 40 of
eyelashes.
[0096] The carrier strip 30 is tensioned by the deflecting element,
and passes around it while changing direction, in its path between
the reel 20 and the spool 21.
[0097] Moreover, in order to make it easier to handle the unit 40
of eyelashes for the purposes of applying adhesive thereto and of
applying them, the edges of the dispensing opening 11 made in the
housing 10 are preferably in the form of tweezers, as will be
developed in the following.
[0098] Furthermore, the position of the reel 20 relative to the
dispensing opening 11 may, in a non-limiting manner, be defined
such that the length of the carrier strip 30 between the reel 20
and the dispensing opening 11 has a sufficient quantity of units of
eyelashes 40 to cover one eye or both eyes, so that the units of
eyelashes 40 applied to the same eye or both eyes have an identical
curvature.
[0099] By way of non-limiting example, the following parameters are
taken into consideration: [0100] on the carrier strip 30, there is
a spacing of 5 mm between two consecutive units of eyelashes 40,
[0101] the units of eyelashes 40 have a width 1 of 5 mm, such that
three units of artificial eyelashes are required to cover one
eyelid, [0102] the eyelashes have a length L equal to 10 mm.
[0103] In operation, the part of the carrier strip 30 located
downstream of the deflecting element 24 no longer holds any units
of eyelashes because they have been removed through the dispensing
opening. This part of the carrier strip is conveyed as far as the
spool 33.
[0104] In this case, the mechanism for moving the carrier strip 30
further comprises actuating means 23 for rotating the spool 21,
allowing the carrier strip 30 to be wound around the spool 21,
winding the carrier strip 30 around the spool 21 causing the
carrier strip 30 to move in order to dispense the eyelashes 41, as
already mentioned.
[0105] Advantageously, the housing 10 comprises an opening 12 and
the actuating means 23 comprises a scroll wheel 23 which can be
operated via the opening 12.
[0106] The scroll wheel 23 may comprise a knurled wheel which
projects out of the housing 10 through the opening 12. The spool 21
is, for example, coaxial with and rigidly connected to said scroll
wheel 23. In this way, the strip 30 can be moved forwards by
rotating the scroll wheel.
[0107] More specifically, the rotation of the scroll wheel 23
causes the spool 21 to rotate and the carrier strip 30 to be wound
around the spool. This winding causes the part of the carrier strip
30 extending between the reel 20 and the spool 21 to be moved, and
therefore causes the units of eyelashes 40 to be conveyed towards
the dispensing opening, accompanied by the removal of the eyelashes
in the region of the above-described dispensing opening. This
movement causes the carrier strip to be unwound from the reel
20.
[0108] A mechanism for blocking the scroll wheel 23 in one
direction of rotation can also be provided such that the user
cannot rotate said wheel in the direction in which the spool 21
unwinds.
[0109] On this point, as shown in FIG. 4, in which the strip 30 is
not shown, the device according to the invention may comprise a
plate 102 which can be removed from the housing 10, said plate 102
being designed to prevent the strip 30 from being moved in the
opposite direction to that of the movement of the strip which
allows the eyelashes to exit.
[0110] Said plate 102 is arranged inside the housing. It is
positioned relative to said housing for example by means of one or
more pins 104, which are rigidly connected to the housing 10, for
example which are integral therewith, and cooperate with openings
107 and/or receiving portions 109 in said plate 102.
[0111] Said device may further comprise a rotatable bearing 106 for
guiding the strip. Said bearing 106 can rotate freely, for example
about an integral finger, which is for example moulded, on said
plate 102. Said finger on the plate 102 may itself be hollow in
order to define one of the receiving portions 109 that cooperate
with one of the positioning pins 104.
[0112] In this case, said plate has a central region 110 equipped
with said positioning opening 107. From this central region 110, a
flexible arm 112 projects laterally and acts as an anti-reverse
lever by cooperating with a toothed wheel 114 which is coaxial with
and rigidly connected to the spool 21, thereby allowing the plate
to fulfil the above-mentioned function of blocking the movement of
the strip 30 in an undesired direction.
[0113] As already stated, walls 120, 122 of the housing which are
located on either side of the dispensing opening 11 may be designed
to press against each other in the manner of tweezers, in order to
hold one or more of said eyelashes 41 between said walls 120,
122.
[0114] According to an aspect of the invention, one 120 of said
walls is fixed and the other 122, referred to as the movable arm of
the tweezers, is articulated, in particular by pivoting about a
shaft 125 relative to the remainder of the housing 10. In other
words, in order to block the eyelashes 41, the user actuates the
movable arm 122 to catch the eyelashes against the fixed wall 120.
Said movable arm 122 may comprise, at its distal end, a lip 123
which allows planar contact against the fixed wall 120 so as to
improve handling of the eyelashes 41.
[0115] In order to allow the movable arm 122 to be articulated, the
device comprises, for example, an articulation shaft that is
rigidly connected to the housing. In this case, said articulation
shaft comprises one of the pins 104 also used to position said
plate 102. For its part, said movable arm 122 comprises bearings
124 that are intended to cooperate with said articulation shaft of
the housing.
[0116] Said device may further comprise a leaf spring 126 that
exerts force on the movable arm 122 to hold it in an open position
of the tweezers. Said leaf spring 126 exerts its effect for example
on a part of the movable arm 122 that is between its rotary shaft
125 and its distal end 123.
[0117] In this case, said leaf spring is located on said plate 102.
It comes in particular from one of the receiving portions 109 in
said plate 102 that cooperate with one of the positioning fingers
104 of the housing 10.
[0118] Said movable arm 122 may further be designed to be held in a
latched manner on the housing 10 in a closed position of said
tweezers. In this case, said movable arm 122 comprises one or more
flexible tabs 130 for this purpose that are intended to cooperate
with a complementary shape 132 that is rigidly connected to the
housing 10. Said flexible tabs are located at one end of the
movable arm 122 opposite the end on which said leaf spring acts. In
order to release the tweezers to allow them to return to an open
position, the user presses on the movable arm 122 on the part
thereof located between said articulation shaft 125 and said
flexible tabs 130.
[0119] Said housing 10 may comprise a stop 170 for positioning said
flexible tabs 130 in the open position of the tweezers. Said
positioning stop may comprise a part, in particular an end of the
guide rib 25 that is opposite the end located adjacent to the
dispensing opening 11.
[0120] Said spool 21 may be located in the housing 10 at the end of
the part of said movable arm 122 that is between its rotary shaft
125 and the end opposite the distal end 123, that is to say, in
this case, the end comprising the flexible latching tabs 130.
[0121] Said movable arm 122 may further comprise a handling
protrusion 134 for moving from the open position to the closed
position. In this case, the protrusion is located between the
rotary shaft 125 of said movable arm and its distal end 123, in
particular between said rotary shaft 125 of said movable arm and an
actuating region of said leaf spring 126.
[0122] In other words, the edges of the dispensing opening 11 form
tweezers together with the walls 120, 122 of the housing, allowing
said eyelashes to be gripped and removed from the carrier. Said
tweezers are further designed to allow the eyelashes 41 to be held
after removal in this case.
[0123] This can be seen in particular in FIG. 5a, in which the
tweezers are open and the unit 40 of eyelashes 40 shown is still in
position on the strip 30, and in FIG. 5b, in which the tweezers are
closed and are holding one of said units 40 of eyelashes after they
have been removed from the strip 30. In this way, adhesive can be
applied to the fringe 42 of the eyelashes and said unit of
eyelashes can then be applied to the user's eyelids.
[0124] The device according to the invention is configured in
particular to allow the strip 30 to be moved when the tweezers are
open.
[0125] One or more devices 1 may further be sold as part of a
complete kit for applying artificial eyelashes, the kit further
comprising a bottle of adhesive for applying adhesive to the
connecting strip of the units of eyelashes, and a bottle of
dissolving solution for dissolving said adhesive.
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