Toilet – Hair device – Comb
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-28
2004-01-06
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Toilet
Hair device
Comb
C132S111000, C132S112000, C132S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672314
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying a product to the hair or to the scalp. For example, the invention may be used as an apparatus and method for applying a hair dye to the hair or a treatment product to the scalp.
The applicator at which the present invention is aimed is of the type having at least two applicator tips in the form of hollow teeth, through which there passes a product supply duct extending to a dispensing orifice. This dispensing orifice may be supplied with product from a product reservoir associated with this applicator.
Devices comprising a number of protrusions, aligned in a straight or curved line are known, particularly in the area of hair treatment, such as the area of hair dyeing.
Devices of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,348, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,504 and WO-A-98/01 053. These known devices have a number of protrusions aligned on an elongate base and supplied with a liquid product contained in an enclosure. The free ends of these protrusions form dispensing holes arranged in a row, in the manner of a comb. The elongate base, together with the protrusions secured to it, are made of a rigid material.
Elsewhere, DE-GM-69 01 735 discloses a device allowing a product to be dispensed and massaged into the scalp. This device comprises a rigid sole, on which are implanted a number of protrusions arranged in several rows on the surface of the sole, in the manner of a brush. The free ends of the protrusions define a plane. The rigid sole forms part of a product enclosure which has an elastically deformable portion. When product is applied, pressure is exerted on the elastically deformable portion of the enclosure to cause the product to be expelled through the dispensing hole of the protrusions.
EP 0 943 260 describes a device on which fingers are mounted via a base common to the fingers. The fingers have outlet openings through which the preparation emerges to arrive on the desired part of the hair. The fingers may be made of an elastic material.
The devices described hereinabove have a certain number of major disadvantages. Specifically, it is difficult for a number of protrusions to be correctly positioned with respect to the scalp or the hair, given the morphology of the skull, which may have a variable profile of curvature. Thus, if the user does not take special precautions, the ends of some of the protrusions may rub against the scalp and risk causing irritation, while others of the protrusions may remain distant from the scalp. Such treatment may be felt as being unpleasant, or even annoying, by the user. In addition, the application of the product may not be uniform, because some of the product is applied to the scalp while some more of the product is dispersed some distance away from the scalp into the hair, far from the root or base of the hair.
Such non-uniform application may be particularly undesirable, especially when a hair dye has to be applied to the growing base of previously dyed hair. What happens in this type of application is that only the root of the hair needs to be treated. Such application may be also annoying when only the scalp needs to be treated.
It may be one optional aspect of the present invention to improve, or even make more effective and more pleasant, the treatment of the hair or of the scalp with a product, while at the same time providing variable positioning of the dispensing orifices so that the product can be applied precisely to the desired spot.
Another source, FR-A-2 647 034, discloses a device for applying a liquid product to the skin, comprising a rigid porous applicator dome. This applicator element is mounted on a product enclosure via a flexible region such as a bellows. This arrangement gives the system a certain degree of flexibility of radial pivoting in all directions and ensures that application is particularly comfortable.
The above device is not suited to the applying of a liquid product to (or into) the hair or to the scalp. This is because by using this type of device, the product might not be able to penetrate amongst the hair or be applied to the scalp.
Another source, U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,615, describes a device for a hair treatment product comprising a dispenser mounted on a reservoir. The dispenser comprises an ejection chamber which is flexible by virtue of the presence of a bellows forming a wall of the chamber. The chamber is closed by a flat upper wall equipped with small openings which are in communication with the ejection chamber. Solid elements forming conically-shaped projections are mounted on the upper wall, adjacent to each opening. A groove is made along one of the sides of each conical element, to communicate with the corresponding opening provided on the flat upper wall. When the device is applied to the hair, the product emerges via the openings made in the flat upper wall of the ejection chamber. From that moment, the product is in contact with the hair. Even though some of the product flows along the grooves, namely along the conical elements, the product may experience difficulty in reaching the scalp or the root of the hair because the outlet openings for the product are formed on the flat surface.
The present invention optionally overcomes one or more of the disadvantages exhibited by the devices described above.
Hence, one of the optional subjects of the invention is to provide a unit equipped with an applicator head allowing appropriate and variable positioning of the dispensing orifices, depending on the profile of the skull, while at the same time ensuring very precise application.
Another optional subject includes allowing a large amount of product to be dispensed.
Another optional subject is to have particular flexibility for application, to avoid any attack or irritation of the scalp during treatment.
One aspect of the invention relates to an applicator for applying a product to at least one of hair and a scalp. The applicator may comprise a body configured to be associated with a reservoir, a base, and at least two application teeth extending from the base. Each of the application teeth may comprise a free end including a dispensing orifice and a conveying duct. The teeth may have a first end at the dispensing orifice and a second end intended to be placed in flow communication with the reservoir. The applicator may include an elastically deformable coupling between the base and the body. The elastically deformable coupling may be configured to allow relative movement of the base with respect to the body in response to at least one of axial force applied to at least one of the teeth, and lateral force applied to at least one of the teeth.
According to another aspect, there is provided an application device comprising a reservoir, and an applicator on the reservoir. The applicator may comprise a base and at least two application teeth extending from the base. Each of the application teeth may comprise a free end including a dispensing orifice and a conveying duct having a first end at the dispensing orifice and a second end intended to be placed in flow communication with the reservoir. The teeth may have an elastically deformable coupling provided between the base and the reservoir. The elastically deformable coupling may be configured to allow relative movement of the base with respect to the reservoir in response to at least one of axial force applied to at least one of the teeth, and lateral force applied to at least one of the teeth.
According to yet another aspect, a unit may be provided for applying a product, for example, a liquid product, to the hair or to the scalp. The unit may comprise a reservoir of longitudinal axis, for the product. Provided on the reservoir is an applicator head comprising a base from which extends at least two applicator tips, each of the applicator tips being in the form of a hollow tooth through which passes a conveying duct which opens at a dispensing orifice positioned at the free end of the tooth. The dispensing orifice may optionally be located in the center of the free end. The
Doan Robyn Kien
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP
L'Oreal (S.A.)
Wilson John J.
LandOfFree
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