Toilet – Hair device – Eyelash or eyebrow
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2001-08-28
Philogene, Pedro (Department: 3232)
Toilet
Hair device
Eyelash or eyebrow
C132S313000, C132S317000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279583
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brush with bristles extending radially from a twisted wire core. More particularly, the invention concerns a cosmetic applicator brush with multi-length fibers, and method of making the brush.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Brushes having a twisted core are known, such as, for example, mascara brushes used to apply mascara to a user's eyelashes. A typical mascara brush is comprised of a core formed from a single metallic wire folded in a generally u-shaped configuration to provide a pair of parallel wire segments. Bristles (sometimes referred to as filaments or fibers), usually comprised of strands of nylon, are disposed between a portion of a length of the wire segments. The wire segments are then twisted, or rotated, to form a helical core (also known as a twisted wire core) which holds the filaments substantially at their midpoints so as to clamp them. In this way, a bristle portion or bristle head is formed with regularly disposed radially extending bristles secured in the twisted wire core in a helical or spiral manner. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,622 to Gueret, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,425 to Hartel et al.
Generally, a mascara applicator is inserted into a container having a reservoir of mascara or some other cosmetic medium. The bristles are arranged so as to pick up a supply of mascara and carry it from the container for application to a user's eyelashes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,642 to Costa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,425 to Hartel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,622 to Gueret.
Mascara applicators are preferred that optimize, for example, a combination of loading, application and combing characteristics. Loading refers to the mascara carrying capacity of the applicator. Brushes that maximize loading minimize the number of times a user must introduce the applicator into the reservoir to replenish the brush. Application characteristics are optimized in an applicator that applies the mascara in a uniform and attractive manner in as few strokes as possible. Combing characteristics are optimized in an applicator that properly separates the lashes and removes excess mascara to provide a finished appearance. However, a brush that maximizes loading may have application and combing characteristics that are unsatisfactory. For example, a heavily loaded brush may apply excess cosmetic to the eyelashes, thus requiring extra application or combing strokes to remove the excess. Conversely an applicator that applies product or combs lashes with minimal strokes to achieve a finished appearance may carry an insufficient load of product. Accordingly, an ideal applicator optimizes a combination of loading, application and combing characteristics, so that a finished appearance may be expeditiously accomplished in as few strokes as possible and with as few introductions of the applicator into the mascara reservoir as possible.
It is known that providing a bristle head with bristles or fibers of different lengths can improve the loading, application and combing characteristics of a mascara brush. The shorter bristles improve loading and application characteristics of the brush, while the longer bristles improve combing characteristics of the brush.
It is known that to achieve a particular brush shape, a bristle portion of a brush can be trimmed, for example, peripherally, diametrically or linearly, or in any combination of these trim modes. Brushes having bristles trimmed to different lengths are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,198 to Kemmerer and U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,456 to Hartel. The brushes disclosed in these references have portions formed from long bristles and portions formed from short bristles, but the long and short bristle lengths are not shown to be intermingled in a manner that would provide a layer inwardly spaced from the outer envelope.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,760 to Gueret discloses a method for making a brush comprising shorter stiff bristles and longer soft bristles. The brush is initially made from stiff bristles and soft bristles of the same length. During a grinding operation, the stiff bristles are said to be reduced in length to become the shorter bristles, while the soft bristles are said to deflect sufficiently to avoid the grinder, and remain long. A problem with this method is that pre-determining the length of the long and short bristles with respect to each other relies on the difference in stiffness between the stiff and soft bristles. Accordingly, bristles with a difference in degree of stiffness selected to yield a desired bristle length differential may not exhibit ideal brush characteristics, e.g., combing, loading, application, etc. Conversely, bristles that exhibit ideal brush characteristics may not have a sufficient difference in degree of stiffness to yield a optimal bristle length differential. Furthermore, with the disclosed method, it is not possible to make a brush with short soft bristles interspersed with long stiff bristles, and it is not possible to make a brush with long bristles interspersed with short bristles wherein all of the bristles have a uniform stiffness. These latter two bristle arrangements should yield a more desirable applicator since longer, stiff bristles are believed to provide better combing characteristics, and shorter, soft bristles are thought to provide better application characteristics.
It is believed that an ideal arrangement would have “layered” bristle lengths, i.e., bristles would be intermingled such that the tips of bristles having a first length form an outer envelope, and the tips of bristles having a second shorter length form a layer spaced inwardly from the outer envelope. Accordingly, there is a need for a brush having long and short bristle lengths interspersed such that the tips of the short bristles form a layer spaced inwardly from the tips of the long bristles, wherein the brush can be made in an simple manner, without regard to bristle stiffness.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed is a brush having bristle lengths precisely layered without regard to bristle stiffness, and a method of making the same. The brush has a twisted wire core supporting a plurality of regularly disposed radially extending long and short bristles. The tips of the long bristles define an outer envelope of the brush. The tips of the short bristles are regularly disposed among the long bristles and define a layer spaced inwardly from the outer envelope. Because the brush can be made without regard to bristle stiffness, the short bristles can have a degree of flexibility for a given length that is equal to or greater than a degree of flexibility for a given length of the long bristles.
The brush is made by first forming a brush blank. The brush blank is formed by providing a plurality of bristles between a pair of parallel wire segments, and initially twisting the wire segments sufficiently to secure the bristles for subsequent steps. After the initial twisting, the bristles having their original length define the outer envelope, or the bristles may be trimmed to define the outer envelope. The short bristles are formed from a portion of the longer bristles by cutting a series of circumferentially spaced longitudinally directed grooves in the outer envelope. The wire segments are then further twisted to displace the short bristles from the grooves to positions among the long bristles while long bristles are displaced into the grooves, such that the tips of the short bristles define a layer spaced inwardly from the tips of the long bristles. Preferably, the wire segments are further twisted until the outer envelope is free of apparent grooves.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4365642 (1982-12-01), Costa
patent: 4403624 (1983-09-01), Montgomery
patent: 4586520 (1986-05-01), Brittain
patent: 4733425 (1988-03-01), Hartel
patent: 4828420 (1989-05-01), Otsuka et al.
patent: 4887622 (1989-12-01), Gueret
patent: 4898193 (1990-02-01), Gueret
patent: 5165760 (1992-11-01), Gueret
patent: 5197497 (1993-03-01), Gueret
patent:
Color Access Inc.
Kenyon & Kenyon
Philogene Pedro
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