Coating implements with material supply – Including means to apply material-moving force – In or at feeder
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-05-29
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Including means to apply material-moving force
In or at feeder
C401S145000, C401S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238117
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an arrangement for applying a fluid, pasty or gel-like product onto the skin, having a reservoir for the product, and having an application element which is connected to the reservoir via a feed channel.
Arrangements of the type mentioned in the introduction are known. In the case of known application arrangements, the product is usually fed in portions from the reservoir, by way of the feed channel to the application element, where it is then used up by application. Once such a portion of the product has been used up, then it is necessary to actuate a delivery device which, in the case of the known application arrangements, delivers a further portion of the product to the application element. Such a delivery device may be realized, for example, in that the reservoir has a flexible outer wall which can be compressed (tube), as a result of which the product is delivered out of the reservoir. In the case of other application arrangements, the delivery device is realized in the form of a plunger which is guided with sliding action in the reservoir.
From time to time it is undesirable for the delivery device to be actuated during application because this requires manipulations which disrupt the application operation.
An object of the invention is thus to specify an arrangement of the type given in the introduction in the case of which the product can be fed to the application element without there being any need to actuate a delivery device connected to the reservoir.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing object is achieved according to the present invention by a device for reversibly decreasing the volume of the feed channel between the reservoir and the application element.
If the volume of the feed channel is reduced, then the pressure in the feed channel increases, as a result of which product located in the feed channel is fed to the application element. The application element is thus supplied with additional product, although there is no actuation of a delivery device, interacting with the reservoir, for the product. This is because the product which is fed to the application element in such a case comes form the feed channel rather than from the reservoir.
A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the device for reversibly decreasing the volume of the feed channel to be a device for reversibly reducing the length of the feed channel. In the case of this configuration, handling is simplified to a considerable extent because a reduction in length of the feed channel can be achieved by the application element being pressed against the skin, to be precise by the application arrangement being gripped by way of the reservoir. In such a case, the pressure against the skin will result in the feed channel being shortened and thus in the pressure in the feed channel increasing, and this leads to a corresponding quantity of the product passing out of the feed channel to the application element.
In this case, it is particularly preferred according to the invention for the device for reversibly decreasing the volume of the feed channel to be formed by a folding bellows or a diaphragm. This is because such a folding bellows or such a diaphragm is particularly easy to produce and closes off the feed channel in a sealed manner.
According to the invention, the application element may have a covering which has through-passages for the product and covers an opening of the feed channel in the application element. This means that the product is distributed uniformly over the application device, in accordance with the distribution of the through-passages, as a result of which correspondingly uniform application of the product onto the skin is possible.
In addition, or as an alternative, to the above described features according to the invention, the arrangement according to the invention may also provide for the application element to have a covering which has through-passages for the product and, together with a wall encircling the opening of the feed channel, bounds a space for receiving a predetermined quantity of the product, and the wall encircling the opening of the feed channel is flexible at least in certain areas.
It is also the case with this solution that the volume of the space bounded by the covering and the wall encircling the opening of the feed channel is reduced when the application element is pressed against the skin. This results, in turn, in a corresponding quantity of the product being delivered to the covering and/or through the covering.
The wall encircling the opening of the feed channel is preferably formed by a diaphragm.
A further-preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the covering to be retained in a compliant and/or movable manner such that it can assume at least one operating position in which, together with an annular surface which encloses the opening of the feed channel and is directed toward the covering, it bounds a space for receiving a predetermined quantity of the product, and in which the space decreases upon deformation of the covering and/or movement of the covering.
If, in the case of this configuration, the product is delivered by way of the feed channel, then, rather than passing directly, through the covering, onto the outside of the covering (application surface), it is first of all distributed in the space bounded by the covering and the annular surface. This space thus constitutes an intermediate reservoir. The (uniform) distribution of the product into the intermediate reservoir means that, when delivered further, the product emerges uniformly through the through-passages, irrespective of whether the through-passages are in the vicinity of a feed-channel opening or not.
According to the invention, the covering is preferably made of plastic, metal and/or a ceramic material. It is not least on account of their smooth application surface that these materials have proven successful for cosmetics, also in terms of cleanliness and hygiene.
The covering also preferably has a metal mesh.
According to the invention, the covering may have an eroded, pitted and/or corrugated outer surface. The correspondingly concave structures serve as a further intermediate reservoir.
The covering preferably overlaps an outer border of the application element. This achieves the situation where the application surface is free of disruptive fastening elements, for example a fastening frame. It is thus smooth and free of edges.
According to the invention, the covering is elastic. This means that it always resumes its rest position after use.
The invention particularly preferably provides for the through-passages to be closed in the rest state and to open when the product rests against the same under pressure.
In other words, the through-passages act as a “Bunsen valve”. They only open when the product is delivered onto the application surface from the feed channel, but they are otherwise closed, with the result that there is no risk of drying out even when, after use, there is still some product left in the feed channel and/or in the product-receiving space serving as intermediate reservoir. No air passes into the intermediate reservoir through the through-passages either.
The invention may provide for the application surface of the application element to be positioned obliquely in relation to a main axis of the arrangement. Such a configuration is advantageous in terms of handling.
According to the invention, the delivery device provided may be a plunger which seals the reservoir on the side directed away from the application element and is guided with sliding action in the reservoir. In such a case, the delivery of the product from the reservoir to the application element takes place by displacement of the plunger.
In this context, the invention may provide an actuating device for displacing the plunger. An example of such a device is a spindle drive.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2442503 (1948-06-01), Melnikoff et al.
patent: 3008172 (1961-11-01), Thompson
patent: 3148401 (1964-09-01), Gilc
Griebel Ulrich
Roeder Georg
Weiss Willy
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Schwan-STABILO Cosmetics GmbH & Co.
Walczak David J.
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