Coating implements with material supply – Supply container and independent applicator – With means for removing surplus material from tool
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-08-28
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Supply container and independent applicator
With means for removing surplus material from tool
C401S130000, C401S126000, C401S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an application member for the application of a product, particularly a cosmetic or dermatological product, to a surface such as the skin, and to an application assembly containing the product and equipped with an application member of this type.
2. Discussion of the Background
The assembly envisaged by the present invention is of the type comprising a reservoir containing the product and provided with an open end over which a stopper acting as a gripping member is removably fastened. The stopper is integral with the application member, generally by means of a wand, so that the application member, in the closed position of the assembly, is permanently immersed in the product.
The reservoir is intended, in particular, to contain a dermatological product, a make-up product or a product for specific treatment of the body and more particularly of the face, such as a liquid foundation, a blusher or an eyeshadow. More specifically, the application member is designed for the application of a product for treating the signs of skin aging, such as wrinkles and small wrinkles and the signs of fatigue, particularly those of the face, neck or décolletage.
A number of products have been proposed in the past with the aim of erasing or blurring the signs of skin aging. More recently, in Patent Applications FR-A-2 758 083 and FR-A-2 759 084, the Applicant has described novel products intended for treating signs of aging and of fatigue, based on particularly effective “tightening agents”. During aging, the skin has an increasingly irregular micro relief and exhibits wrinkles and small wrinkles.
In the case of tightening agents, these are compounds which are capable of tightening the skin and, through this tightening effect, smoothing the skin and immediately reducing or even erasing wrinkles and small wrinkles thereof. These products have a particular texture and have rapid drying properties.
The direct application of this type of product using the fingers is unsuitable. In fact, even with the lightest massaging, finger friction suffices to break up the product's texture.
Thus, the problem posed by the present invention consists in providing an application member capable of:
depositing just the necessary quantity of product;
having a geometry to suit the surface to be treated;
being flexible, supple and soft, given the sensitivity of the skin of the eye contour area and of the fragility of the product's texture;
spreading the product rapidly, particularly in a single stroke, before the product dries.
The areas of the face particularly targeted by the invention are wrinkles in the eye contour area, such as “crow's feet” at the outer corner of the eyes, dark rings and bags under the eyes, wrinkles at the corners of the mouth, etc.
FR-A-2 506 580 discloses a flat, supple applicator, in the form of a spatula, for applying a make-up product. This applicator, intended to be loaded with a very fluid product by capillary effect, cannot be used for the products envisaged by the present invention. Moreover, its shape is not particularly suited to the application of the said products to the areas of the body targeted by the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, a first object of the present invention is to provide an application member adapted to the treatment of the skin, particularly of the aforesaid areas of the face.
A second object of the invention consists in an application member capable of conferring as gentle an application as possible to the skin whilst still guaranteeing a high level of precision during application.
A further object of the invention consists in an application member capable of selectively treating a single wrinkle or a “bundle” of wrinkles.
A yet further object of the invention consists in an application assembly including a treatment-product reservoir and provided with an application member of this type.
The application assembly according to the invention is intended for carrying in the user's handbag or it may be used for renewing the treatment during the day, particularly whilst travelling.
Thus, the subject of the present invention is an application member, for the application of a product to the skin, including a gripping element and an application element, integral with the said gripping element, the said application element being flexible, and having at least a first substantially planar face, the width of which in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the gripping element decreases in the direction of a free end located opposite the said gripping element, the said first face being delimited by two lateral edges, at least one of which is of concave form. Thus, when the application member is loaded with product, the first face may be used as an application surface. The lateral edge of concave form is adapted particularly to the shape of the lower part of the eyes. To this end, the concave lateral edge advantageously has a radius of curvature of between 16 mm and approximately 30 mm.
In the sense of the present invention, the term “flexible” is used to denote the ability of the application element to curve, in response to a stress, and to resume its initial form by means of elasticity when the stress ceases. The ability of a material of this type to flex may be characterized by its flexural modulus in flexure. Generally, the materials envisaged by the invention have a flexural modulus of flexure which is at least equal to 200 MPa (Young's modulus in flexure). The flexibility may be the result of the nature of the material forming the application element and/or its configuration.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, one of the lateral edges is of concave shape, the other of the lateral edges being of convex shape. In this case, the two lateral edges may have different radii of curvature. Advantageously, the radius of curvature of the convex lateral edge is greater than the radius of curvature of the concave lateral edge. Alternatively, the two lateral edges may be concave.
Thus, the user, holding the gripping element in the right hand, applies the planar face to the area to be treated, located, for example, below the right eye, the concave edge of the application element matching the edge of the lower eyelid.
In order to be able to carry out the same treatment on the lower part of the left eye, using the same hand or the left hand, the second face of the application element, opposite the first one, is also preferably substantially planar.
Preferably, at least the free end of the application element is of rounded form. In this case, the curvature of this free end has a radius of between approximately 1 mm and approximately 3 mm.
As regards the application element, it may be produced from natural or synthetic rubber, particularly from polyurethane or from thermoplastic elastomer. It may consist of a foam with closed or semi-open cells or include a flocked covering. Advantageously, the application element has a mean thickness of between approximately 1 mm and approximately 3 mm.
By virtue of the choice of these materials and of the thickness of the application element, the latter has a flexibility such that, as it brushes against the skin, a portion of the corresponding face of the application element is applied tangentially to the surface of the skin, without giving rise to notable deformation of the latter.
According to a preferred embodiment, the application element has a length of approximately 20 mm measured along the axis of the gripping element. Advantageously, this gripping element is connected to the application element by means of a wand of small diameter, which makes it easier to handle the application member.
Advantageously, the application element has a mean width of approximately 7 mm measured in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the gripping element. This width is adapted to cover the essential part of the wrinkles in the targeted wrinkled areas.
In practice, the application member is associated with a reservoir intended to contain a
L'Oreal
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Walczak David J.
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