Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Effervescent or pressurized fluid containing – Organic pressurized fluid
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-04
2002-02-12
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Effervescent or pressurized fluid containing
Organic pressurized fluid
C424S070100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346230
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to novel aerosol devices intended for fixing the hair.
The hair products for shaping and/or holding the hair style which are most widely available on the cosmetics market are spray compositions essentially consisting of a solution, usually an alcoholic or aqueous solution, and one or more materials, generally polymer resins, whose function is to form welds between the hairs, these materials also being known as fixing materials, as a mixture with various cosmetic adjuvants. This solution is generally packaged either in a suitable aerosol container placed under pressure with the aid of a propellant, or in a pump-dispenser bottle.
The fixing materials are generally fixing polymers, that is to say film-forming polymers that are soluble in water and in alcohol, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, the vinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers described in particular in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,929,735 and 3,770,683, vinyl acetate/crotonic acid copolymers and anionic or amphoteric acrylic resins. These materials make it possible to obtain the fixing effect easily but, on the other hand, after brushing or combing, hair under the usual lacquer conditions looks stiff and feels coarse, or even sticky.
These drawbacks are associated with several parameters, among which mention may be made of the nature of the fixing polymer(s), or alternatively the nature of the welds. In order to overcome these drawbacks, it is thus possible to alter these two parameters without, however, decreasing the desired fixing effect. In order to improve the cosmetic properties of the fixing materials, it has been proposed to combine different polymers, for example as discussed in documents WO 94/12148, WO 96/06592 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,762.
The inventors have now found, surprisingly, that by appropriately selecting the fixing polymers and the diffusion parameters for the compositions, it is possible to decrease the size of the welds.
The present invention thus relates to a novel aerosol device intended to fix the hair, which makes it possible to decrease the size of the welds and thus to provide excellent cosmetic properties such as softness, disentangling and feel while at the same time retaining good fixing and/or shaping qualities for the hair style.
The aerosol device according to the invention comprises a container containing an aerosol composition including, on the one hand, a liquid phase (or fluid) containing at least one fixing material in a suitable solvent and, on the other hand, a propellant, and a means for distributing the aerosol composition, the fixing material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of greater than or equal to 30° C., and the device being suitable for obtaining a solids flow rate ranging from approximately 4 to approximately 17 mg/s and a wetting power greater than or equal to 50 mg/s.
The distribution means generally includes a distribution valve controlled by a distribution head, which itself comprises a nozzle through which the aerosol composition is vaporized.
The terms “Tg”, “solids flow rate” and “wetting power” as understood according to the present invention are defined below.
According to the present invention, the term glass transition temperature (Tg) is understood to refer to the Tg of the fixing material in the dry extract, the dry extract consisting of all of the non-volatile materials in the fluid, or solids.
According to the present invention, the solids flow rate (F
S
) corresponds to the amount of dry extract which leaves the aerosol device per unit time. This solids flow rate is expressed in mg/s and is calculated by multiplying the solids concentration in the aerosol composition (C
S
) by the flow rate of the aerosol composition at the nozzle outlet (F
AC
):
F
S
=C
S
×F
AC
The solids concentration in the aerosol composition (C
S
) corresponds to the amount of solids relative to 100 g of aerosol composition (fluid+propellant). The solids concentration is expressed as a percentage and is measured after spraying by evaporation of the volatile components of the spray residue for 1 hour 30 at 105° C.
The flow rate of aerosol composition (F
AC
) corresponds to the amount of aerosol composition (fluid+propellant) leaving the aerosol device per unit time. It is expressed in mg/s and is measured by the difference between the weight of aerosol before (M
0
) and after (M
1
) spraying for 10 seconds:
F
AC
=(M
0
−M
1
)/10.
According to the present invention, the wetting power corresponds to the amount of product received on a sheet of plastic placed 35 cm away from the nozzle of the aerosol device for a given unit of time. In this case, the product comprises the solids plus some of the solvent which has not evaporated in the course of the trajectory plus, optionally, some of the propellant which has not evaporated. This wetting power is expressed in mg/s and is measured, according to the invention, by the following method:
a sheet of plastic 21 cm×23 cm in size is suspended vertically from a precision balance ({fraction (1/1000)}), the sheet being connected to the balance via the upper edge (generally by a balance hook inserted into a perforation placed at the center of the width and 1 cm from the upper edge), and held vertically by applying a weight centered on the lower edge (generally by means of a clamp fixed and centered on the lower edge);
a block is placed behind the lower edge of the sheet in order to keep the sheet vertical during impact of the product;
the aerosol device is placed vertically such that the composition diffusion nozzle is positioned at the center of and 35 cm away from the vertical sheet, for vaporization of the product perpendicular to the sheet;
the composition is vaporized for 5 seconds
the amount of product received on the vertical sheet is measured as soon as the vaporization has ended.
For greater precision, it is possible to use a suitable device comprising a means for supporting the aerosol device and means allowing the three-dimensional control of the position of the nozzle relative to the vertical sheet. This device can also be equipped with a pneumatic device for controlling the spray (firing and duration), so as to control the duration of the vaporization precisely. The whole assembly can be controlled by computer.
In order to avoid environmental disturbances, the trajectory of the product between the nozzle and the sheet will advantageously be protected horizontally and vertically by the walls of a tunnel of appropriate dimensions.
Lastly, vaporization of the product is advantageously carried out under a controlled atmosphere, preferably at a temperature of 20° C. and a relative humidity of 50%.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aerosol device according to the invention is suitable for obtaining a solids flow rate of less than 16 mg/s, preferably ranging from 6 to 15 mg/s.
Advantageously, the aerosol device according to the invention is suitable for obtaining a wetting power ranging from 50 mg/s to 125 mg/s.
The solids flow rate and wetting power characteristics of the aerosol devices according to the invention depend, on the one hand, on the aerosol composition, and, on the other hand, on the means of distribution, the two needing to be suitable in order to obtain the desired characteristics. Among the parameters liable to influence these characteristics, mention will be made more particularly of the solids concentration (C
S
), the flow rate of aerosol composition (F
AC
) and the phase of the aerosol composition.
Advantageously, the solids concentration (C
S
) ranges from 0.4 to 5% by weight relative to the total weight of the aerosol composition (fluid+propellant), preferably from 0.6 to 3.25% by weight.
The flow rate of aerosol composition (F
AC
) will, in this case, be suitable for obtaining a solids flow rate (F
S
) as defined above. Preferably, the F
S
will range from 500 to 700 mg/s, more preferably in the region of 550 mg/s.
The phase of the aerosol composition is preferably a long phase, that is to say that the fluid/propellant weig
Minou Patrick
Samain Henri
Joynes Robert M.
L' Oreal, S.A.
Page Thurman K.
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