FR2964540A1 - Portable appliance i.e. cosmetic pen, for use by user to apply healthcare or cosmetic product, has container closed at end through closing member, where actuator and container are separable - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable apparatus (1) for applying a cosmetic or care product comprising an actuator (4) and a reservoir (2) equipped at one end with an orifice (3) for applying said product, the orifice being disposed opposite the actuator (4). It comprises an attachment ring (5) connecting the reservoir (2) and the actuator (4), the reservoir being closed at the other end by a closure member (12). The actuator and the reservoir are separable and two connections are provided: a connection on the one hand between the attachment ring (5) and the reservoir and a link on the other hand between the actuator (4) and the bushing. hooking (5), one of these two links being a helical connection, the other connection being formed by an inner shoulder (6) of the ring bearing on an outer shoulder (7) of the reservoir or the actuator.

Description

The technical field of the present invention is that of applicators for cosmetic products or other care products. The present invention relates for example to a cosmetic pen manipulated by a hand by a user to wear makeup. Applicators for cosmetics held between the fingers of a hand generally include a body with a rotating control portion. A problem however is that these applicators are generally not rechargeable and must be discarded after use. An applicator variant for cosmetic products is also described in the patent application FR2889796, this applicator being intended to improve the sealing of the cosmetic product reservoir. The reservoir deformed as and when it is used, however, is practical for a good grip. In addition, this deformation degrades the overall aesthetic appearance of the applicator. Another problem is the accuracy of the applicator control for delivering a determined amount of cosmetic product. Another problem is a grip of the applicator where the control could be actuated accidentally, in particular by inducing a rotation of the rotary control part. The object of the present invention is to overcome one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art. The subject of the invention is therefore a portable apparatus for applying a cosmetic or care product comprising an actuator and a reservoir equipped at a first end with an orifice for application of said product, the orifice being disposed at a distance of opposite of the actuator, characterized in that it comprises a first attachment ring ensuring the connection between the reservoir and the actuator, the reservoir being closed at its other end by a shutter member, the actuator and the reservoir being separable. According to another particularity of the invention, the apparatus comprises a connection on the one hand between the snap ring and the reservoir and a connection on the other hand between the actuator and the snap ring, one of these two links being a helical link, the other link being formed by an internal shoulder of the catching ring cooperating with an external shoulder of the reservoir or the actuator. According to another feature of the invention, an external thread of connection with the attachment ring is formed respectively on the actuator or on the reservoir. According to another feature of the invention, the closure member comprises a piston, the actuator comprising a guide actuated in rotation, the guide disposed around a threaded rod being in helical connection with the threaded rod which is intended for push the piston of the tank and release a dose of product.

According to another particularity of the invention, the actuator comprising a pusher for activation in rotation of the guide by a ratchet mechanism. According to another feature of the invention, the guide comprises a cylindrical portion extended by two arms each having at their free end an inner portion forming a helical half-helical surface and an outer portion forming a frustoconical half-support surface, each outer portion being disposed in abutment in a frustoconical housing of a second thrust ring of the actuator.

According to another feature of the invention, each helical half-helical surface partially forms the helical connection between the guide and the threaded rod when the guide is held against the abutment ring by a biasing element.

According to another particularity of the invention, the threaded rod is released from the helical connection, by spacing the two arms, when the guide is spaced from the stop ring after separation of the actuator and the reservoir and after the rod is backed up. threaded.

According to another feature of the invention, the threaded rod comprises a discontinuous thread and at least one longitudinal flat portion of translation guide relative to the body of the actuator.

According to another particularity of the invention, the threaded rod comprises a gripping head with the piston constituted by a disc connected by a cylindrical portion to a bulge disposed at the end of the threaded rod, the disc being intended to come into bearing against the piston, the cylindrical portion cooperating with a cylindrical hole of the same length formed in the piston and the bulge cooperating with a flare formed in the piston at the end of the cylindrical hole.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the pusher comprises a manually activated end and an end equipped with beveled supports. The pusher is guided in translation in grooves formed in a translational guide element. The beveled supports are arranged facing passages of the grooves of the translational guide element which further comprises beveled supports at the end of the groove and between two successive passages. A third drive ring is held by the biasing member, such as a spring, against the guide member or against the pusher. This third ring comprises guide tabs having their tapered end. These tabs are intended to be guided in the passages of the grooves or to slide successively against the beveled supports of the pusher and against the beveled supports of the guide element. According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the beveled ends of the legs of the third ring, the beveled supports of the guide element and the beveled supports of the pusher are inclined in the same direction. This direction of inclination corresponds to a rotation of the guide disposed around the threaded rod, causing a thrust of the threaded rod on the piston. According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the guide disposed around the threaded rod and the third drive ring are connected by a set of longitudinal grooves cooperating with longitudinal ribs, a functional clearance compensating for a translational movement of the third ring relative to the guide disposed around the threaded rod. A first advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the reservoir is in the form of a releasable refill for the renewal of the product.

Another advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the user can have a battery of tanks containing different products that can be used immediately. Another advantage lies in the delivery of a calibrated dose of product.

Another advantage lies in a simple rearmament of the actuator, in particular thanks to the design of the rod guide, which allows, by a displacement of the threaded rod, to fit it into the body of the actuator. That is to say that a firm push on the control rod of the piston, allows to move the rod guide of its stop ring in order to release the rod of its guide, thus allowing a repositioning of the retracted rod in the actuator body. Other features, advantages and details of the invention will be better understood on reading the additional description which will follow of embodiments given by way of example in relation to drawings in which: FIG. in perspective of an example of apparatus according to the invention cut along a longitudinal plane; FIG. 2 represents an exploded perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 3 represents a perspective view of an example of a coupling ring between a reservoir and an actuator; FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of an example of a cylindrical body of an actuator; FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of an example of an abutment ring providing a frustoconical housing; FIG. 6 represents a perspective view of an example of a threaded rod equipped with a gripping head with the piston and with translational guide flats; - Figure 7 shows a top view of the rod of Figure 6. - Figure 8 shows a perspective view of an example of a guide disposed around the threaded rod; FIGS. 9 and 10 each represent a perspective view of an example of a ring for rotating the guide disposed around the threaded rod; FIG. 11 represents a perspective view of an example of an activation push-button; - Figure 12 shows a perspective view of an exemplary guide element in translation of the pusher. The invention will now be described. As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises, at one end, an orifice 3 for delivering the product contained in the reservoir 2 and at another end, a push 9 activation. This tank is detachably secured to an actuator 4 comprising a body 31. The tank 2 is closed at one end by a piston 12. This piston is provided with a cylindrical hole forming a blind channel 34 extended by a flare 35. The advance of the piston 12 inside the tank 2, towards the orifice 3, causes the decrease of the internal volume of the reservoir 2 and thus causes the exit, through the orifice 3, of a dose of the contained product In this one. The product is for example a cosmetic product or another care product.

A set of structural elements arranged in a body 31 of the actuator 4 makes it possible to control an advance of the piston 12, by pressing on the pusher 9. The actuator 4 and the reservoir 2 are connected to each other by a ring 5. hooking. Fixing the ring 5 of attachment is for example made by a thread and by shoulders. The reservoir 2 comprises, for example, a peripheral rib 7 intended to be clamped between a shoulder 6 of the fastening ring 5 and the annular end of the body 31 of the actuator 4.

The snap ring 5 is for example clamped to the body 31 of the actuator by an internal thread 49 of the snap ring 5 cooperating with an external thread 8 of the body 31 of the actuator. These two threads are in particular represented in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thus, by unscrewing the hooking ring 5, it can be released by sliding along the tank 2 to the level of the orifice 3. In this way, the tank may be removed for replacement or refilling if necessary. The establishment of a tank 2 is done in reverse by sliding the ring 5 hooking along the tank 2, from the hole 3 to the outer shoulder 7 and then screwing the ring 5 hooking on the thread 8.

The outer shoulder 7 is for example made in the form of a peripheral rib. The piston 12 of the reservoir 2 is connected to a threaded rod 11 of the actuator, this rod 11 being controlled in translation. The threaded rod 11 is guided in translation, for example, by two parallel planar supports disposed on each side of the threaded rod 11. The threaded rod 11 comprises a discontinuous thread 29 interrupted by these two flats 30, as shown in FIG. 6. These longitudinal flats 30 are guided in translation relative to the actuator 4. As represented in FIG. 5, a ring 28 of FIG. fixed abutment relative to the body 31 of the actuator 4, for example comprises two supports 47 translational guide planes of the rod 11 threaded.

The abutment ring 28 comprises, for example, a crenellated external peripheral zone 46 bearing against a crenellated inner peripheral zone 44 of the actuator body 31. The stop ring 28 further comprises an outer peripheral rib 45 which is inserted into an internal peripheral groove 43 of the actuator body 31. The abutment ring 28 is force-fitted into the actuator body 31, and then the fastening ring 5 is tightened at the stop ring 28 thus preventing extraction of the abutment ring 28.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the piston control rod 11 comprises in particular a gripping head with the piston. The attachment head comprises for example a large push disk 32 bearing on the piston 12, extended by a cylindrical rod ending in a bulge 33. The bulge 33 may be a ball or a small disk. The large disk 32 of the threaded rod 11 is held pressed against the piston 12 by the insertion of the bulge disposed in the flare 35 after crossing the channel 34 slightly narrower. This channel 34 is for example cylindrical. The large disc 32 bearing against the piston 12 is disposed at a determined distance from the bulge 33 located at the end of the threaded rod 11, the cylindrical bore 34 ending in the flare 35 having a length corresponding to the distance between the large disk 32 and the bulge 33. The large disk 32 forms for example a collar. The piston 12 may be made of resiliently flexible material so as to bear against the inner wall of the reservoir 2 sealingly. An annular recess 50 made at a distance from the bore 34 facilitates, for example, a deformation during insertion or removal of the head of the rod 11.

To cause dispensing of product, the user exerts a push on the pusher 9. The pusher 9 then controls the rotation of a ring 18 for rotating the guide 10 disposed around the threaded rod 11. This ring 18 is free in translation relative to the guide 10 but drives it in rotation. The guide 10, rotated, acts via a thread on the threaded rod 11 to push the piston 12. The pusher 9 which drives the guide 10 in rotation by a ratchet mechanism allows a quantification of the control 30 in rotation and thus the advance of the piston. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the guide 10 disposed around the threaded rod 11 and the rotating drive ring 18 of this guide 10 comprise external annular shoulders, referenced 37 and 42, between which a spring 19 is arranged. or another reminder element. The guide 10 is thus held by the spring against the stop ring 28 closing the body 31 of the actuator 4, while the ring 18 for rotating this guide 10 is pushed by the spring 19 in the direction of the pusher 9. The guide 10 and the rotating drive ring 18 of this guide 10 are connected by a set of longitudinal grooves 21 cooperating with longitudinal ribs 22. The ribs 22 and the grooves 21 perform a guide in translation, their corresponding length. a functional clearance compensating a translational movement of the ring 18 relative to this guide 10. The grooves 21 and the ribs 22 have for example a rectangular section.

The guide 10 comprises a cylindrical portion 23 equipped with the ribs 22. This cylindrical portion 23 is extended by two arms 24 each having at their end an inner portion 25 forming a helical half-helical surface and an outer portion 26 forming a half-surface frustoconical support. The outer portions 26 are intended to bear in the frustoconical housing 27 of the stop ring 28 of the actuator 4. This frustoconical portion 27 supported around the ends of the arms, prevents spacing of these ends and keeps in place the connection helical while allowing the rotation of the guide 10 disposed around the threaded rod 11. The annular shoulder 42 of the rod guide 10 is for example made in two parts each carried by an arm 24. The half-shoulder of the guide 10 is set back from the frustoconical outer bearing surface so as to have the two frustoconical half-support surfaces disposed at the end of this guide 10. The frustoconical housing 27 of the stop ring 28 is in particular bordered by an annular support surface 48 intended to come against the annular shoulder 42 of the guide 10, opposite to the surface on which the spring 19 rests. As shown in FIG. 11, the pusher 9 comprises a manually activated end 13 and an end equipped with beveled supports 14. These beveled supports 14 are for example formed by teeth in a triangle. The pusher 9 is guided in translation relative to the body 31 of the actuator 4. A translational guiding element 15 is for example inserted into the body 31 and locked in translation and in rotation relative to the body 31. The body comprises, For example, an inner peripheral toothed stop 51 cooperating with an external peripheral toothed stop 39 of the translation guide element 15. Other stops in rotation and in translation are also possible. The translational guiding element 15 comprises in particular internal grooves forming longitudinal guiding passages 16 in translation. The end of the ribs forming these grooves, comprises an inclined portion providing a beveled support 17. The element 15 for guiding in translation comprises, for example, an internal annular abutment 38 for limiting the movements of the ring 18 driving rotation of the guide 10 disposed around the threaded rod 11. The pusher 9 is for example guided in translation by teeth 40. These teeth 40 have for example a pointed end facilitating their insertion into the grooves during assembly. The bevelled supports 14 are arranged opposite the teeth 40 and thus come opposite the passages 16 of the grooves of the element 15 for guiding in translation. The supports 14 are for example formed by triangles whose vertices are arranged in the middle of the passages 16 of grooves. The drive ring 18 which is held by the return element 19, against the guide element 15 or against the pusher 9 comprises guide tabs 20. These tabs 20 can be arranged in the passages 16 of the grooves or to be pushed out of these passages 16, by the pusher 9.

When the pusher 9 pushes the lugs 20 of the drive ring 18, the beveled supports 14 of the pusher 9 push on the beveled ends 36 of the lugs 20. The bearing surfaces are inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the direction of push, and when the tabs 20 are no longer held in the passages 16, the ring 18 will rotate under the action of the spring 19. The tabs then slide successively on the supports 14 beveled pusher 9 and then on the supports 17 beveled 15 for guiding against the other face of the teeth disposed at the end of the pusher 9. When the pusher 9 is released, it is pushed by the ring 18 which pivots slightly so that its lugs 20 come in front of the passages 16 and then fit into them. The pusher 9 comprises in particular a peripheral shoulder 41 abutting against a shoulder 52 of the guide element 15, as shown in FIG. 1. It would also be possible to provide a return spring for the pushbutton 9 in addition to the element 19. return of the drive ring 18. The inclinations of the beveled supports intended to come against the ends of the lugs 20 of the drive ring 18 have the same direction of inclination causing the rotation in a given direction. This determined direction of rotation transmitted to the guide 10 corresponds to the output of the threaded rod 11 actuated by the helical link and guided in translation. A push on the pusher 9 thus corresponds to a determined angular offset where the tabs 20 pass from a passage 16 to the next passage 16. The angular control is precisely quantized, which corresponds to a quantified advance of the threaded rod 11 and therefore the piston 12. The distribution or the amount of product applied is accurate. When the tank 2 is empty, it is separated from the actuator by unscrewing the ring 5. The tank 2 is changed or filled. By then firmly pushing on the rod 11, the guide 10 moves back and leaves the frustoconical portion of the stop ring 28. The guide 10 disposed around the threaded rod will then open and release the thread 29 of the threaded rod 11, the latter can thus enter the body 31 of the actuator 4. At the release of the pressure the spring 19 replaces the guide 10 against the stop ring 28.

The retraction of the threaded rod 11 can also be done by turning the guide member with a slight pressure exerted on it to release its external toothing. It must be obvious to those skilled in the art that the

The present invention allows other embodiments. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered as illustrating the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Portable apparatus (1) for applying a cosmetic or care product comprising an actuator (4) and a reservoir (2) equipped at one end with an orifice (3) for applying said product, the orifice being disposed opposite the actuator (4), characterized in that it comprises a first attachment ring (5) providing the connection between the reservoir (2) and the actuator (4), the reservoir being closed at its other end by a closure member (12), the actuator and the reservoir being separable. 2. Portable device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a connection on the one hand between the attachment ring (5) and the reservoir (2) and a connection on the other hand between the actuator (4) and the latching ring (5), one of these two links being a helical connection, the other connection being formed by an internal shoulder (6) of the latching ring cooperating with an external shoulder (7 ) of the tank or actuator. Portable device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that an external thread (8) for connection with the attachment ring (5) is formed respectively on the actuator (4) or on the reservoir (2). ). 4. Portable device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the closure member (12) comprises a piston, the actuator comprising a guide (10) actuated in rotation, the guide ( 10) arranged around a threaded rod (11) being in helical connection with the threaded rod (11) which is intended to push the piston (12) of the reservoir (2) and thus release a dose of product. 5. portable device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the actuator comprising a pusher (9) for activation in rotation of the guide (10) by a ratchet mechanism. 6. portable device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the guide (10) comprises a cylindrical portion (23) extended by two arms (24) each having at their free end an inner portion (25) forming a half-helical connecting surface and an outer portion (26) forming a frustoconical half-support surface, each outer portion (26) being supported in a frustoconical housing (27) of a second abutment ring (28) of the actuator (4). 7. Portable apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that each helical half-helical surface partly forms the helical connection between the guide (10) and the rod (11) threaded when the guide (10) is held against the ring stop (28) by a return member (19). 8. Portable device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the threaded rod (11) is released from the helical connection, by spacing the two arms (24), when the guide (10) is spaced from the stop ring (28) after separation of the actuator (4) and the reservoir (2) and after discharge of the threaded rod (11). 9. Portable apparatus (1) according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the threaded rod (11) comprises a discontinuous thread (29) and at least one longitudinal flattening (30) translational guide relative to the body (31) of the actuator (4). 10. Portable device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the threaded rod (11) comprises a hooking head with the piston (12) constituted by a disk (32) connected by a part cylinder with a bulge (33) disposed at the end of the threaded rod, the disk (32) being intended to bear against the piston (12), the cylindrical part cooperating with a cylindrical hole (34) of the same length in the piston and the bulge (33) cooperating with a flare formed in the piston at the end of the cylindrical hole.