EP1428454B1 - Applicator as well as package and application apparatus comprising such an applicator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to applicators used to apply cosmetic products, especially care products.

No. 3,111,703 discloses a deodorant applicator comprising a receptacle on which is fixed a cage housing a ball. The cage has a bottom wall provided with a closed slot at rest. The bottom wall has two abutments disposed on either side of the slot and against which the ball abuts during application, so as to exert on the abutments a constraint causing the opening of the slot and allowing the passage of the product contained in the container to the ball.

Patent application FR 2 734 131 discloses a packaging and application device comprising a container and a removable application element. The latter comprises a gripping member defining a housing for a ball, which is biased towards the opening of the housing by a spring disposed in the bottom thereof.

The patent application FR-2,734,131 describes a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

The patent application EP 0 506 564 describes a container with an applicator member slidably mounted on a tip of the container, the applicator member being biased towards a high rest position by means of a spring.

The patent application FR 2 676 339 describes a container having a ball for applying a cosmetic product. The ball can be returned to the up position by means of a spring.

There is a need to improve the applicators comprising a ball, in particular to offer the user a greater feeling of comfort during the application.

The invention meets this need by means of a device as defined in claim 1.

The invention makes it possible to offer the user, during the application, a feeling of comfort thanks to the fact that the pressure exerted by the applicator on the skin is transmitted to the ball by the elastically deformable connecting element.

In addition, the ball can more easily follow the application of the relief of the body, including the face, because of the mobility of the cage relative to the gripping member.

The connecting element can be made separately from the cage, and assembled therewith during the manufacture of the device. Alternatively, the connecting element can be made at least partially in one piece with the cage, for example by molding plastics material.

The gripping member having an axis, which may be an axis of symmetry of the applicator for example, the connecting element is advantageously arranged to allow the cage, during application at least, to move along said axis or to deviate from it, to allow the cage to move in three directions orthogonal to each other relative to the gripping member.

The connecting element may comprise a foam, for example polyurethane. As a variant, the connecting element may comprise a spring, in particular a helical spring. This spring may, if necessary, be made in one piece by molding plastic with the gripping member or the cage, or with both. The spring can still be metallic. The connecting element can also be realized differently.

In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the gripping member comprises a cover and an insert fixed in the cover, the connecting element being integral with the insert, which may comprise a mounting skirt for fixing of the connecting element.

Still in an exemplary implementation of the invention, the applicator is arranged to be able to close, in particular in a sealed manner, a container containing the product to be applied and the applicator comprises, for example, a sealing lip intended for apply tightly against a neck of the container.

The cage may be made of a relatively rigid plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene, for example, and have an inner surface portion of sphere that conforms to the shape of the ball.

The cage and the ball may be arranged to provide a clearance between them allowing movement of the ball in the cage other than a pure rotational movement around the center of the cage.

• un récipient apte à contenir un produit, notamment cosmétique,
• un applicateur tel que défini plus haut, l'applicateur étant agencé pour pouvoir fermer le récipient.

Another subject of the invention, according to another of its aspects, is a packaging and application device comprising:

• a container capable of containing a product, in particular a cosmetic product,
• an applicator as defined above, the applicator being arranged to be able to close the container.

In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the container has a wall defining a housing for receiving the ball when the applicator is in place on the container.

This wall can also define a seat for the ball.

For example, the wall may comprise at least one annular portion against which the ball applies when the applicator is in place on the container. This can prevent the housing receiving the ball from filling too easily with product during transportation of the device in a bag, for example.

Advantageously, when the applicator is in place on the container, the connecting element is compressed, so as to apply the ball against its seat. Alternatively, the contact may be between an edge of the cage and said wall.

The latter may comprise at least one orifice for the passage of the product contained in the container to the ball. This orifice can open into a recess in the wall. This recess may be delimited by the aforementioned annular portion. The recess can form with the ball a space capable of retaining the product, this space can facilitate the loading of the ball product.

The container may be made by assembling on a first reservoir portion a second portion defining the housing receiving the ball.

• un organe de préhension,
• une cage solidaire de l'organe de préhension et définissant un logement pour recevoir une bille applicatrice avec une possibilité de rotation de la bille dans le logement, caractérisé par le fait que la cage est mobile relativement à l'organe de préhension, étant reliée à ce dernier par une mousse.

The invention further relates to an applicator comprising:

• a grasping organ,
• a cage secured to the gripping member and defining a housing for receiving an applicator ball with a possibility of rotation of the ball in the housing, characterized in that the cage is movable relative to the gripping member, being connected to the latter by a foam.

• un organe de préhension ayant un axe,
• une cage solidaire de l'organe de préhension et définissant un logement pour recevoir une bille applicatrice avec une possibilité de rotation de la bille dans le logement, la cage étant mobile relativement à l'organe de préhension, étant reliée à ce dernier par au moins un élément de liaison élastiquement déformable, caractérisé par le fait que l'élément de liaison comporte un ressort, notamment hélicoïdal, agencé pour permettre à la cage, lors de l'application au moins, de se déplacer suivant ledit axe et de s'écarter de celui-ci.

The invention further relates to an applicator comprising:

• a gripping member having an axis,
• a cage secured to the gripping member and defining a housing for receiving an applicator ball with a possibility of rotation of the ball in the housing, the cage being movable relative to the gripping member, being connected to the latter by at least an elastically deformable connecting element, characterized in that that the connecting element comprises a spring, in particular helical, arranged to allow the cage, during application at least, to move along said axis and to deviate therefrom.

• la figure 1 représente schématiquement et partiellement, en coupe axiale, un exemple d'un dispositif de conditionnement et d'application conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente isolément, de manière schématique, en coupe axiale, l'applicateur du dispositif de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique de l'applicateur de la figure 2, lors de l'application de produit sur la peau, et
• la figure 4 représente schématiquement une variante d'applicateur.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description, non-limiting examples of implementation thereof, and on examining the appended drawing, in which:

• FIG. 1 diagrammatically and partially, in axial section, an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 represents, in schematic form, in axial section, the applicator of the device of FIG.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the applicator of FIG. 2, when applying product to the skin, and
• Figure 4 schematically shows an applicator variant.

FIG. 1 shows a packaging and application device 1 comprising a container 2 and an applicator 3.

The container 2 comprises a first part 4 forming a reservoir, containing a product P, for example a milk for the body, this first part having at its upper end a neck 5 extending along an axis X.

The first part also comprises a bottom 7 connected by two successive shoulders 8 and 10 to the neck 5.

The neck 5 is provided on its outer surface reliefs 12 whose role will be explained later.

The container 2 further comprises a second part 13 constituted in the example described by an insert on the first part 4.

This second portion 13 comprises an outer skirt 14, X axis, abutting by its lower edge against the shoulder 8 and snapping on the intermediate portion 9 connecting the shoulders 8 and 10 of the first part.

The second part 13 also has, internally to the skirt 14, ribs 16 extending along the X axis on either side of the reliefs 12 of the neck 5, so as to prevent relative rotation of the second part 13 by report to the first part 4.

The skirt 14 is connected by a transverse portion perpendicular to the axis X to a tubular wall 17.

The latter defines above the transverse portion 15 a neck 18, threaded externally, and is sealingly applied by its lower portion 19, below the portion 15, against the inner surface of the neck 5 of the first part 4.

The wall 17 is closed at its lower end by a bottom wall 22, which has an annular portion 23 whose surface 23a is spherical on its upper side, forming a seat for an applicator ball 30 carried by the applicator 3, as this will be detailed later.

The bottom wall 22 may also comprise a recess 25 connected at its periphery to the annular portion 23, concavity directed towards the ball 30 and whose bottom is traversed by a plurality of orifices 26 allowing the product P contained in the part forming tank 4 to gain recess 25.

The applicator 3 comprises a cover 31, in which is fixed an insert 32. The assembly consisting of the cover 31 and the insert 32 forms a gripping member 33.

The insert 32 comprises an internally threaded skirt 34, enabling the applicator 3 to be screwed onto the neck 18 of the container 2, a sealing lip 35 intended to be sealingly applied to the inner surface of the neck 18 and a skirt. inner 36 for mounting on the insert of a connecting member 37 by which the ball 30 is secured to the gripping member.

In the example considered, the connecting element 37 is constituted by a block of foam, for example polyurethane, fixed to the insert 32 by gluing, for example. This foam block may have a substantially cylindrical shape, of X axis.

The ball 30 is retained with a possibility of rotation in a cage 40 defining a spherical housing 41 allowing to exceed a lower portion of the ball 30 for the application. The ball 30 can be placed in the cage 40 by elastic deformation of the latter, for example.

The cage 40 comprises at its upper part an attachment skirt 42 of axis X, shouldered, serving to fix it to the connecting element 37, for example with an adhesive 43.

In the example considered, the distance between the lower edge of the skirt 36 and the upper edge of the skirt 42 is non-zero, being sufficient to allow some compression of the connecting element 37 and a certain deflection of the cage 40 around geometric axes of rotation perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the X axis.

When the applicator 3 is in place on the container 2, to close it in a sealed manner, as shown in Figure 1, the connecting member 37 is compressed and exerts on the cage 40 a force tending to apply the ball 30 against the annular portion 23, the contact between the two tending to prevent the flow of product P towards the outside of the tank beyond the space defined by the recess 25. The product P can be retained by capillarity in the -this.

The device 1 can be used in the following manner.

The user returns the container 2 to allow the flow of product P in the recess 25, through the orifices 26, the latter being permanently open in the example in question.

The ball 30 can then be loaded with the product P.

Once the ball 30 is loaded with product, the user can unscrew the applicator 3.

During the application, the user can roll the ball 30 on the skin S, the connecting element 37 being able to deform according to the relief thereof, as illustrated in FIG.

The possibility offered to the ball 30 to move relative to the gripping member 33 improves comfort on application.

It is not beyond the scope of the present invention using a connecting member other than a foam block.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cage housing the ball may be connected to the gripping member 33 via a helical spring 37 'of axis X.

This spring may be constituted by an insert as shown in the drawing or be made by plastic molding with at least one of the cage 40 and the insert 32.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the implementation examples which have just been described.

For example, a container can be made without the recess 25, the annular portion 23 surrounding for example a single central opening through which the ball 30 can be loaded product.

The ball 30 can be flocked and be made of various materials, including a load of particles intended to exert an effect on the product or on the surface treated with the product. This effect can be a magnetic field or the release of a substance, for example ions.

Claims (17)

1. An application and packaging device comprising:

   - A receptacle (2) containing a substance, in particular a cosmetic substance, to be applied,

   - an applicator (3) comprising:

   - a handle member (33),

   - a cage (40) secured to the handle member and defining a housing (41) for receiving an applicator ball (30), with an ability of rotation of the ball into the housing, the handle member being arranged for closing the receptacle (2), characterized by the fact that the cage (40) is movable relative to the handle member, the cage being secured to the handle member by means of at least one elastically-deformable link element (37, 37').
2. A device according to precedent claim, in which the handle member has an axis, characterized by the fact that the link element is configured to enable the cage (40) to move along and/or depart from said axis at least during application.
3. A device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the link element (37) comprises a foam.
4. A device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that the link element (37') comprises a spring, in particular helical spring.
5. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the handle member comprises a cap (31) and an insert (32) fixed in the cap, and characterized by the fact that the link element (37, 37') is secured to the insert (32).
6. A device according to precedent claim, characterized by the fact that the insert comprises a skirt (36) for fixing to the link element.
7. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the handle member has a sealing lip (35) for pressing against a neck (18) of the receptacle.
8. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cage (40) is made of a rigid plastics material.
9. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cage (40) has a shape forming a portion of a sphere matching the shape of the ball.
10. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the link element (37, 37') is distinct from the cage (40).
11. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the handle member is arranged for closing the receptacle (2) in a sealing way.
12. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the receptacle comprises a wall (22) forming a seat for the ball when the applicator is in place on the receptacle.
13. A device according to precedent claim, characterized by the fact that said wall (22) has at least one annular portion (23) against which the ball presses when the applicator is in place on the receptacle.
14. A device according to one of claims 12 and 13, characterized by the fact that the wall comprises at least one orifice (26) enabling the substance contained in the receptacle to pass to the ball.
15. A device according to precedent claim, characterized by the fact that the wall (22) comprises a setback (25) suitable for co-operating with the ball when the applicator is in place on the receptacle to form a space into which at least one orifice (26) opens out.
16. A device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized by the fact that the receptacle comprises a first portion (4) forming a reservoir suitable for containing the substance, and a second portion assembled to the first, defining the housing (41) and including the wall (22).
17. A device according to any one of preceding claims, characterized by the fact that when the applicator is in place on the receptacle, the link element (37, 37') is compressed.

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