Toilet – Hair device – Eyelash or eyebrow
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-21
2002-09-10
Manahan, Todd E. (Department: 3732)
Toilet
Hair device
Eyelash or eyebrow
C401S129000, C132S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06446637
ABSTRACT:
The present invention pertains to applicators, and methods of using such applicators, for applying a product. In particular, the present invention is directed to an applicator for the application of a product, such as a cosmetic product or a care product, for example, to the eyelashes, eyebrows, or other types of hair. The invention also relates to an applicator system including the applicator and a receptacle for containing the product to be applied.
European Patent Application EP-A-0 474 934 discloses a brush for applying mascara to eyelashes. The brush includes a circularly-symmetrical cylindrical body and brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush. The brush members have circular cross-sections and are offset relative to one another in the longitudinal direction.
German Patent Application DE-A-2 559 273 also discloses a brush for applying mascara. The brush includes a hollow, circularly-symmetrical cylindrical body and brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush. The brush members have triangular cross-sections. Long sides of the triangular cross-sections are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support.
European Patent Application EP-A-0 204 466 also discloses a brush for applying mascara. The brush has brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support.
French Patent Application FR-A-2 564 712 discloses an applicator having two arrangements of teeth aligned parallel to one another. The teeth have bases with triangular shaped cross-sections. A short side of each triangle shape is parallel to axes of alignment of the teeth. A height of the triangle shape, extending from the opposite vertex, is perpendicular to the axes of alignment.
French Patent Application FR-A-2 748 636 discloses a mascara applicator including thin teeth arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the applicator.
It would be desirable if such known devices could be further improved to be capable of taking up a relatively large quantity of substance and thereby provide satisfactory endurance between refills. It would also be desirable if such devices could be improved to engage hairs, in particular the eyelashes, so as to smooth the substance over their surfaces and to lengthen them.
One aspect of the present invention relates to an applicator for applying a product to at least eyelashes and/or eyebrows. The applicator comprises an application element configured to apply a product to at least the eyelashes and/or eyebrows. The application element comprises a support, and at least one row of teeth extending from the support. At least one of the teeth comprises a base having an oblong cross-section.
According to one aspect, the oblong cross-section is angularly positioned in a direction forming a non-zero acute angle with the axis of the row. According to another aspect, the oblong cross-section is angularly positioned in a direction forming a non-zero acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support. In yet another aspect, the oblong cross-section is angularly positioned in a direction forming a non-zero acute angle with the axis of the row and a non-zero acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support, wherein the two angles may be identical, substantially identical, or different.
As used herein, the “direction” of the angular positioned oblong cross-section refers to the direction in which a longitudinal axis of the oblong cross-section is arranged. For example, when the oblong cross-section is substantially rectangular shaped, the direction of such a cross-section would correspond to the longitudinal axis parallel to the two longer sides of the rectangular shape. As another example, when the cross-section is substantially in the shape of an ellipse, the direction would correspond to a major axis of the ellipse.
As used herein, the term “axis of the row” refers to the axis along which the teeth in a row are arranged. For example, the axis of the row could be substantially straight or curved. The axis of the row could be either identical to or different from the axis of the support. The teeth in the row may be a succession of consecutive teeth.
The applicator may have just one row of teeth (or more than one row of teeth), essentially forming a comb. Alternatively, the applicator may have more than one row of teeth disposed around the applicator, essentially forming a brush. For example, the applicator may include one row of teeth disposed on a substantially opposite side of the applicator as another row of teeth.
In another aspect, more than one tooth may have a base with an oblong cross-section and one or more of such teeth may have a base positioned in a direction forming a non-zero acute angle with the axis of the row and/or a non-zero acute angle with the axis of the support. For example, all of the teeth could have bases with oblong cross-sections angularly positioned to form non-zero acute angles with respect to the axis of the row and/or the axis of the support.
When a plurality of the teeth have angularly positioned oblong bases, the direction of each cross-section could be either substantially the same or different and/or each direction could form substantially the same angle with one or more of the axes.
Optionally, the angular positioning of the bases of the teeth provides an application element capable of taking up a quantity of substance that is sufficiently large. The angular positioning optionally also enables the teeth to engage hairs, in particular the eyelashes, while the application element is being moved relative thereto, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support. For example, an applicator according to the invention may make it possible to have a relatively large quantity of substance between the teeth while spreading the substance onto the eyelash surface, without the teeth losing their capacity to engage with and curve an eyelash.
In one aspect, bases of at least two consecutive teeth in the row may either contact one another or lack contact with one another.
In another aspect, consecutive teeth in the row may be mutually overlapping when the application element is observed from the side, in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the row and/or the axis of the support. Optionally, the overlapping teeth may form a substantially V-shaped notch therebetween, and the notch may be configured such that a hair is capable of being engaged therein. For example, the bottom of the notch may be situated at a non-zero distance from the support.
The profile of the above-mentioned V-shaped notch may converge towards the support. The notch may be configured so that substance present between the teeth may be spread in a satisfactory manner over the surface of the hair engaged in the notch, all the way to the end of the hair.
There are many different possible shapes for the oblong cross-section of the base. In one possible embodiment, the oblong cross-section may have a substantially rectangular shape. In other examples, the oblong cross-section may be substantially in the shape of an oval, an ellipse, or a triangle.
In another aspect, one or more teeth may have a tapered cross-section extending over at least a portion of the tooth height from adjacent the support toward a tooth free end.
In still another aspect, at least some of the teeth may have a free end portion having a shape chosen from cylindrical, substantially cylindrical, and curved.
In one embodiment, a tuft of bristles may be mounted on the support. For example, the tuft may be along the row of teeth.
Optionally, at least the support and the teeth are an integral, one-piece arrangement. For example, the application element may be formed by molding, die stamping, or any other method of shaping material.
In a further aspect, one or more of the teeth may comprise a gliding agent for improving gliding of the hair on the teeth. The gliding agent may be chosen from polytetra-fluoroethylene, graphite, silicones, molybdenum disulfide, and derivatives thereof. The gliding agent could either be a coating on an exterior surface of
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
L'Oreal (S.A.)
Manahan Todd #E.
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