Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICE, KIT AND METHOD FOR COLORING HAIR
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION
Some embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatus that
were
disclosed in PCT publication no. WO/2009/078017. In some embodiments, any
feature or
combination of features described in the present document may be combined with
any feature
of combination of features described in PCT publication no. WO/2009/078017.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an hair-coloring applicator
device and
to a related method for the coloring of hair.
Particular embodiments may be useful for the temporary coloring of graying
hair, for
example, at or near the hair roots.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hair dyes are commonly used to hide the gray and white hairs typically caused
by
aging, as well as to alter other hair colors to suit personal taste. Hair
colorants may be broadly
classified into several types, although colorants of different types may be
combined, and some
colorants may not clearly belong to any one type [Anderson, J. Soc. Dyers
Colourists,
116:193-196 (2000); Zviak and Millequant, [Zviak, Charles; Millequant, Jean.
Editor(s):
Bouillon, Claude; Wilkinson, John. Science of Hair Care (2nd Edition) (2005),
251-275.
Publisher: CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Fla].
Permanent colorants are usually formed by mixing small aromatic precursors
with an
oxidizing agent, typically hydrogen peroxide. Following oxidation, the
precursors covalently
react with each other to form a dye. The small precursor molecules can diffuse
into the hair
more effectively than the larger dye molecule can diffuse out. An alkalizing
agent, typically
ammonia, is also added in order to cause swelling of the hairs, which allows
maximum
penetration of the precursors into the hair. In addition, the peroxide
bleaches the original hair
color, thereby allowing the color of the dye to completely replace the
original hair color.
Permanent colorants are quite popular, but they suffer the drawbacks of the
complexity of
correctly mixing and applying the precursors, and the use of potentially
harmful reagents.
Thus, permanent colorants are normally applied by professional hair stylists.
In addition, even
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permanent coloring cannot hide the original hair color that inevitably
reappears with the new
growth of hair.
Demi-permanent colorants are similar to permanent colorants, but use lower
concentrations of peroxide, and an alkalizing agent that is less effective
than ammonia, but has
a less unpleasant odor. Demi-permanent colorants are therefore less effective
at penetrating
the hair and bleaching the original hair color, and cannot be used to
effectively color
predominantly gray or white hair. However, the relative gentleness of such
colorants makes
them desirable when less effective coloring is sufficient, such as when gray
or white hairs
constitute a minority of hairs.
Semi-permanent colorants typically comprise molecules, such as
nitrophenylenediamines and nitroaminophenols, which are small enough to
diffuse into the
hairs. Such colorants do not require additional reagents and are therefore
easy to use, but they
are less effective than permanent dyes, fade relatively quickly following
several shampooings,
and cannot bleach the original hair color.
Temporary colorants typically do not penetrate the hairs, and therefore are
capable of
only moderate changes in hair color. They are also removed by the first
shampooing, and are
therefore appropriate for individual occasions, and to make slight alterations
to hair color, such
as hiding gray or white new growth, until a more permanent colorant is
applied. Because
temporary colorants need not comprise small molecules capable of penetrating
the hair, a wide
variety of compounds may be used, which facilitates convenience. For instance,
one may
select dyes that have no risk of inducing an allergic reaction, which is not
possible with more
permanent colorants. There is also a large number of shades to choose from.
The ideal characteristics of a temporary hair colorant depend on the exact use
of the
colorant. Typically, however, it is important that the colorant be easily
removable by
shampoo, but not by rain, perspiration or friction from clothing or
pillowcases. It is also
desirable that the colorant have a sufficiently high affinity to hair, and to
color hair evenly.
Temporary hair colorants have been used as ingredients in shampoos and
conditioners,
shading strengtheners, colored hair sprays and mascaras, aimed to be applied
to the entire head
of hair or as hair streaks. To provide even and stable coloring there are
often several families
of dyes used within a single formula. The charge of the dyes can be negative
or positive to
provide low or high affinity to the hair shaft, as dyes with positive charge
(basic dyes) have a
higher affinity to the hair.
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Common temporary hair colorants include azo derivatives, basic
triphenylmethane
dyes such as methyl violet, azine derivatives such as safranine, and
indoamines and
indophenols [Zviak and Millequant, supra (2005)]. Colored polymers have been
used, as well
as artificial melanin.
Polymer colorants with a strong affinity to hair are often semi-permanent or
permanent
colorants. Examples of polymers with a strong affinity to hair which are semi-
permanent
colorants are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,182,612, 5,702,712 and
5,827,330.
A polymeric temporary colorant thereafter must have at most a moderate
affinity to
hair, and more desirable, a low affinity to hair. Examples of polymers
suitable for temporary
coloring of hair are disclosed, for example in U.S. Patents Nos. 5,737,907 and
5,891,199.
Tannic acid, or gallic acid produced by hydrolysis of tannic acid, has for
centuries been
combined with ferrous ions to produce iron gall ink. After writing with the
pale ink, the
ferrous ions are oxidized by atmospheric oxygen to ferric ions, which react
with the tannic
acid to produce a dark violet-black organometallic polymer that can
permanently bind to
proteins, such as those in parchment. Iron gall ink is rarely used today,
because paper does not
comprise protein, and excess iron atoms are highly corrosive, damaging both
paper and pens.
A similar process has been used to permanently or semi-permanently dye hair
with a
dye that binds the protein of hair. For example, EP Patent No. 327,345
discloses a kit which
comprises a shampoo comprising ferrous ion for washing hair, and a solution
comprising
tannic acid which is applied to the hair after shampooing in order to create a
semi-permanent
black dye. Such a kit is inadequate for use as a temporary colorant because
the colorant is
semi-permanent, and because the use of two solutions (a tannic acid solution
and a ferrous ion
solution) is too lengthy and complex to appeal to consumers. Moreover, the kit
disclosed
therein must be used more than once in order to achieve full coloration.
Japanese Patent No. 2,014,324 and U.S. Patent No. 4,946,472 disclose hair
colorants
comprising ferric ion and tannic acid in a single formulation. The colorants
used in the taught
formulations, however, are not temporary.
Chinese Patent Application No. 1990-104,017, Japanese Patent Nos. 3,014,160
and
48,031,902 and Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2002-47,287, 1993-312,065,
1988-292,113
and 1984-65,068 disclose permanent or semi-permanent hair colorants comprising
ferrous iron
and tannic acid in a single formulation. Based on the art of iron-tannic acid
colorants, it is
believed that ferrous ion undergoes oxidation to ferric ion (e.g. by exposure
to air) before
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reacting with tannic acid to produce a colored polymeric iron tannate.
Oxidation of ferrous
ions in a hair colorant that has been applied to the hair results in the
formation of an iron
tannate polymer strongly bound to the hair, making the colorant non-temporary.
These patents
and patent applications are silent with respect to compositions that comprise
tannic acid and
ferric iron ions, let alone compositions that are devoid of unbound ferric
ions.
Japanese Patent Nos. 61,055,483, 130,823, 94,800 and 93,052 and Japanese
Patent
Application Nos. 2005-206,160, 2000-85,556, 1990-336,606, 1987-245,287, 1984-
177,514
and 1972-81,137 disclose permanent or semi-permanent hair colorants comprising
two
formulations, one of which comprises iron ions, and the other comprising
tannic acid. Mixture
of the two solutions in hair allows the production of iron tannates in the
hair, the iron tannates
thereby becoming bound to the hair.
In addition to the inability of such formulations to serve as temporary
colorants, iron-
tannic acid hair colorants suffer from several general deficiencies. The dark
black color does
not appeal to many consumers. In addition, all of the abovementioned
formulations comprise
unbound iron ions. Unbound iron is corrosive, and ferrous ion in particular
produces highly
oxidizing free radicals by the Fenton reaction. Excess iron can damage hair
and cause
unsightly skin hyper-pigmentation [Landsown, Int. J. Cosmetic Sci., 23:129-137
(2001)].
Melanoidins are a family of brownish, colored compounds that result from the
interaction between sugars and amino acids under moderate heat. Melanoidins
are responsible
for much of the browning and flavor of cooked foods, and hence are recognized
as highly safe
agents. However, melanoidins have not been disclosed as hair colorants
heretofore.
It is advantageous for temporary hair colorants to comprise a formulation
suitable for
applying the colored compound(s) included therein to the hair with the desired
ease and
convenience. For example, the formulation may include solvents and/or surface
active agents
which allow the solubilization of the colored compound, and yet are fast
drying formulation.
It is also desirable in many cases for the formulation to include ingredients
that prevent the
temporary hair coloring from fading and/or rubbing off prematurely.
PCT Patent Application No. WO 94/10968 teaches an aqueous hair dye composition
comprising solubilized melanin and a cationic material which binds the
solubilized melanin to
the hair via electrostatic interactions. The melanin is preferably solubilized
by being oxidized
with hydrogen peroxide, which is taught therein as imparting an ionic
character to the melanin.
The cationic material, such as a quaternium or polyquaternium compound, is
taught therein as
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complexing the anionic melanin in a manner that increases the affinity of the
melanin to the
hair.
U.S. Patent No. 6,506,374 teaches a hair coloring composition comprising
alcohols to
allow quick drying, and a polymer which prevents the color from rubbing off.
5 U.S. Patent No. 5,821,240 teaches an aqueous hair coloring composition which
includes a quaternary ammonium functional silane to prevent rubbing off.
Japanese Patent Application No. 1993-312,065 teaches a hair coloring
composition
comprising tannic acid, ferrous salts, and a silicone oil such as a silicone-
polyether copolymer.
Such silicone oils are non-volatile surface active agents useful in forming
smooth films on
hair.
As temporary hair colorants are desired for the potential ease and convenience
of their
use, it is particularly advantageous to have a quick and convenient technique
for applying such
colorants. Colorants in the form of pencils or wick-type applicators (e.g.,
U.S. Patent No.
5,964,222) are frequently used to touch-up the hair along the hair line.
Another technique
involves combing into the hair a temporary hair colorant gel. In a further
technique, hair
colorant powder is applied by squeezing a bottle or by an aerosol container to
dispense the
powder, which is then worked into the hair line with the fingers.
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SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The present disclosure describes an hair-coloring applicator device comprising
(i) a
shield device including an upper surface and a lower surface and (ii) an
aerosol assembly for
delivering a hair coloring composition or agent onto the upper surface of the
shield.
At any given time, the hair-coloring applicator device may be useful for
coloring hair
in a specific `local treatment region' - for example, at or near the hair line
which delineates
the border between the user's forehead and a `hair mass' higher on the user's
head. For
example, rather than using the device to color an entirety or most of his/her
hair, the device is
especially useful for `touching up' hair roots of visible regions of hair
where the hair.
In one use-scenario, a user colors or dyes a majority of his/her hair from a
`natural
color' to a `target hair color' using any technique known in the art. At a
later time (for
example, a few days or few weeks later), the user's hair has grown so that the
roots of his/her
hair revert back to the `natural' color. In many of these use cases, rather
than rectifying this
situation by coloring the entire hair mass (or even a significant fraction),
the user is mainly
interested in `touching up' embarrassingly visible regions (for example, near
the hair line
bordering the forehead) where the hair-roots have reverted to their natural
color. According to
this an other use scenarios, the user may be interested in a `quick, low
effort' solution where
the local regions of hair are treated quickly without requiring significant
effort on the part of
the user.
In some embodiments, the shield portion of the presently disclosed hair-
coloring
applicator may include a plurality of narrow elongated slots (e.g.
substantially parallel to each
other) via which strands of hair may pass. During usage, (i) the hair coloring
composition is
sprayed, from the aerosol assembly, into a region of space `above' the hair
shield; (ii) the
shield is oriented to be substantially parallel to the local plane of the
user's scalp so that user's
scalp in the `treatment region' is below the shield and protected by the
shield from the hair
coloring composition which may stain the scalp; and (iii) the user's hair at
the `treatment
region' traverses (i.e. in an `upward' direction) the thickness of the shield
via the elongated
slots so that at least a portion (preferably, including hair roots) of hair
strands are located
`above' the shield (in contrast, to the scalp which is `below' the shield and
protected from the
hair composition).
When the user sprays the hair coloring composition in a region of space
`above' the
shield, the hair coloring composition makes contact with the `traversing' hair
strands to color
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at least a portion of the hair strands (for example, by coating the hair),
preferably to color the
roots of the hair strands. Furthermore, because the elongated slots are
generally `narrow'
(though wide enough to accommodate the traversing hair strands), the shield
can substantially
prevent the sprayed hair coloring composition which may `land' on the upper
surface of the
shield from traversing (i.e. in a `downward' direction) below the shield to
make contact with
the scalp itself. Such contact may, in many use scenarios, be detrimental -
for example, it may
stain the scalp.
As noted before, in many use sceanarios, the user only wants to color
embarrassing
grey (or another undesirable color) hair roots in specific localized regions.
In this scenario, the
user may generally be interested in a `quick and easy low-effort solution'
that does not require
much effort expending any significant effort.
In some embodiments, instead of coloring hair with a hair-coloring cream or
gel or a
mousse as is known in the art (typically, the user needs to expend effort
manually `working
in' or `combing in' cream or gel or mousse), it may be advantageous to employ
a quick-drying
and/or non-viscous hair coloring composition that is configured to coat
strands of hair without
causing hair strands to stick together and without any need to manually `work'
the hair-
coloring composition into the hair.
While a `quick-drying' and/or `non-viscous' hair coloring composition may be
easy to
work with (i.e. there is no requirement to `work it into the hair' and/or it
generally dries
quickly), one salient feature of non-viscous liquids is that they tend to run
or flow, which
could increase the likelihood of exposure of the scalp to the hair-coloring
agent. For example,
the hair-coloring composition may be delivered over the top surface of the
shield as a mist or
even as a fine mist.
In some embodiments, it may be challenging to shield the scalp beneath the
shield
from droplets of hair-coloring mist (for example, accelerated by delivery from
the aerosol
assembly) and/or a hair-coloring agent provided as a non-viscous liquids.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatus which
(allow
the hair to upwardly penetrate above the shield so that the roots may be
colored by the hair-
coloring composition delivered (for example, as a spray) over the top surface
of the shield;
while nevertheless protecting the scalp below the shield from even non-viscous
hair-coloring
agents and/or hair-coloring agent delivered as a stream of droplets.
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Experiments conducted by the present inventor have indicated that one or more
of the
following geometric properties may be useful for the shield:
(A) the narrow elongated slots are wide enough to accommodate the upwardly-
traversing hair strands but narrow enough so that substantial quantities of
hair-coloring
composition do not downwardly penetrate below the shield onto the scalp;
(B) the narrow elongated slots may have some sort of length feature - i.e.
they may be
long enough to allow `significant quantities' of hair to upwardly traverse the
slots above the
shield where the hair composition is delivered from the aerosol assembly.
Elongated but
narrow slots would thus have some sort of elevated `slot aspect ratio'
relating slot length (i.e.
either the entire length of the slot or the `aspect ratio' within a section of
the slot having some
sort of length) with some measure of the slot width - in some embodiments, the
`slot aspect
ratio' may be at least 30 or at least 40 or at least 60 or at least 70 or at
least 80 or at least 90 or
at least 100);
(C) the shield portion of the device may include a plurality of generally
aligned and/or
substantially parallel teeth that are `closely spaced' to each other - for
example, slots or voids
between laterally neighboring teeth may have any `narrow slot' or `narrow gap'
property to
block hair-coloring composition from `downwardly' penetrating the shield to
the scalp;
(D) although the teeth would not be `extremely narrow,' in some embodiments,
the
teeth are not be `too wide' (for example, teeth that are too wide may reduce
the number of
slots than can be fit in a device that is not `too wide'). In some
embodiments, the upper limit
(e.g. averaged over a majority or significant majority or very significant
majority of the teeth
and/or averaged over the entire length of teeth or averaged over some
lengthwise section of the
tooth or shield) for tooth width (or the upper limit for average distances
between slots) may be
4 mm, or 3 mm, or 2.5 mm, or 2 mm). Because `longer teeth' may provide a more
efficient
device (i.e. longer slots to accommodate more hair strands), and because the
teeth may have
some sort of narrowness property, in some embodiments, the `tooth aspect
ratio' may be
relatively large for example, at least 20 or at least 30 or at least 40 or at
least 50 or any range
or value disclosed herein. The tooth aspect ratio, discussed below, relates
tooth length to tooth
width or thickness or cross section averaged over the entirety of the tooth or
over some
`section of tooth/length of tooth' along the tooth axis)
(E) the shape of the cross section of the teeth (or the cross section of the
void between
laterally-neighboring teeth) may also play a role in shielding the scalp below
the shield while
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facilitating the upward traversal of hair strands so that the hair roots are
`exposed' to the
aerosol-delivered hair-coloring composition. Thus, in one example, the present
inventors have
discovered that upwardly-pointing substantially triangularly-shaped teeth
(i.e. teeth having a
substantial triangular cross-section - see, for example, FIGS. 15, 21-22 ) may
provide
excellent results. These teeth (i.e. the cross section of the tooth in a
majority or significant
majority or very significant majority of locations along the tooth axis) may
be are configured
so that the narrowest `gap' between laterally-neighboring teeth is near the
tooth bottom. Not
wishing to be bound by theory, it is noted that by locating the `narrowest
gap' between teeth
near the bottom of the tooth, this may facilitate a situation where the root
(and not only a
`higher' section of a strand of hair) upwardly penetrates above the `nearest
gap' between teeth
into a region that is more exposed to the delivery of the aerosol hair-
coloring composition.
Furthermore, because the teeth are more narrow near the top, the void between
teeth is wider
at `higher' locations near the top of the void or the top of the laterally
neighboring teeth. This
void geometry provided by the tooth geometry means that the roots of the hair
strands in
locations above the `narrowest gap between teeth' are less likely to be
shielded by the teeth in
this `higher' location above the `narrowest gap between teeth';
(F) It is disclosed that there is no requirement for triangularly-shaped tooth
cross
sections, and in some embodiments, one or more features associated with for
triangularly-
shaped tooth cross sections for any tooth cross section shape. Thus, in some
embodiments, the
cross section of the tooth and/or the void between laterally-neighboring teeth
may have an
asymmetric width profile so that the tooth is wider at the bottom (i.e. on
average, in most
locations) and narrower at the top (or conversely, so that the void is wider
at the top and
narrower at the bottom so that the `narrowest gap' is located near the bottom
of the
neighboring teeth).
(G) In some embodiments, the topography of the top surface of the shield and
bottom
surface of the shield may different so that the top of the shield feels
relatively rough (e.g. due
to an undulating surface that undulates in the lateral direction) and the
bottom of the shield
feels relatively smooth. The `length scale' for the roughness and the
smoothness would
typically be around lmm (i.e. 0.5 mm or 0.75 mm or 1.25 mm or 1.5 mm or 2 mm).
This may be observed by observing the trajectory of a cylinder whose radius is
0.5 mm
or 0.75 mm or 1 mm or 1.25 mm or 1.5 mm or 2 mm and who length is at least 0.5
cm or at
least 1 cm or at least 2 cm or at least 3 cm or at least 4 cm) over the top
and the bottom
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surfaces. The top surface which is `rough' would cause the cylinder to
undulate or oscillate
when moved in a lateral direction over the top surface of the shield at a
larger or much large
magnitude than when in an identical experiment, the same cylinder is moved in
a lateral
direction over the bottom surface of the shield (where the vertical
oscillations or undulations
5 may be non-existent or much smaller).
In one example, for a majority of voids between teeth of a tooth array (of any
number
disclosed herein), when the cylinder is `rolled' or moved laterally over the
top surface of the
shield in a lateral direction, the cylinder would undulate or oscillate at a
first magnitude where
the magnitude of vertical oscillations or undulations would be at least 0.5 mm
or at least 1 mm
10 or measure that is equal to the radius or 1.5 times the radius of cylinder.
When the same
cylinder, in the same location, is moved over the bottom surface of the
shield, the magnitude
of vertical oscillations or undulations for the bottom surface (i.e. a second
magnitude) would
be less (i.e. having a value that is at most 50% or at most 30% or at most 20%
or at most 10%
of the first magnitude observable for the top surface - for example, compare
FIG. 25 to FIG.
27
In some embodiments, the ratio of (i) the magnitude of the
undulations/vertical
oscillations for the top surface (i.e. measured for the given cylinder) to
(ii) the magnitude of
the undulations/vertical oscillations for the top surface (i.e. measured for
the same given
cylinder) may be at least 1.5 or at least 2 or least 3 or least 5.
In one example, for the top surface the magnitude of oscillations or
undulations of the
cylinder may match (i.e. within a tolerance of 70% or 50% or 30%) the cylinder
radius.
As used herein the term "about" refers to 10 %.
The term "comprising" means that other steps and ingredients that do not
affect the
final result can be added. This term encompasses the terms "consisting of' and
"consisting
essentially of'.
As used herein, the singular form "a", "an", and "the" include plural
references unless
the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "a compound" or
"at least one
compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.
Throughout this disclosure, various aspects of this invention can be presented
in a range
format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely
for convenience
and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the
scope of the
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invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to
have specifically
disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values
within that range.
For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered
to have
specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to
5, from 2 to 4, from
2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for
example, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.
Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any
cited
numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases
"ranging/ranges
between" a first indicate number and a second indicate number and
"ranging/ranges from" a
first indicate number "to" a second indicate number are used herein
interchangeably and are
meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional
and integral
numerals therebetween.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have
the same
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which
this invention
belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those
described herein can
be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods
and materials are
described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including
definitions, will
control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative
only and not
intended to be limiting.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to
the
accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail,
it is stressed
that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of
illustrative discussion of
the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in
the cause of
providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood
description of the
principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt
is made to show
structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a
fundamental
understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making
apparent to
those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be
embodied in practice.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of hair-dye applicator
constructed in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 1;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 1;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the main components in the hair-dye applicator
of
Figure 1;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an additional form of hair-dye
applicator
constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 6;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 6;
FIG. 9 is a top view of the hair-dye applicator of Figure 6;
FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the main components in the hair-dye applicator
of
Figure 6.
FIGS. 11-30 relate to additional embodiments.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, is of a hair coloring
applicator,
and of hair coloring agents and compositions which can be used to color hair.
Specifically, the present invention can be used to color ("touch-up") hair
along a hair
line in a quick and convenient manner, particularly with a temporary hair
coloring composition
which is based on hair coloring agents that are substantially natural (e.g.,
derived from
naturally-occurring substances), environmentally-friendly, and which exhibit
natural hair
shades, and/or a suitable volatile carrier devoid of alcohol.
The principles and operation of a hair coloring applicator according to the
present
invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and
accompanying
descriptions.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to
be
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and
the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced
or carried out
in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology employed
herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting.
FIG. 11A-I IC illustrates one use scenario where a user employs a hair
coloring device
200 to color roots of her hair - for example, in the `peripheral' region 490
bordering the
forehead. FIG. 12 illustrates another use case. FIGS. 13A-13C are side views
of the device
200 employed in the use cases of FIGS. 11-12. As will be discussed below, in
one non-
limiting usage scenario, device 200 including shield 220 may be useful for
coloring the user's
hair (more specifically, the roots of the user's hair) with an aerosol spray
(for example, a mist
or a stream of droplets including a hair-coloring agent and an alcoholic
solvent) while
simultaneously protecting the user's scalp from being subjected to the hair
coloring agent.
In some embodiments, the hair color provided in the spray form is `quick-
drying'
and/or non-viscous. In these embodiments, despite the ability of the hair
coloring solution to
`run' upon landing on a surface of the shield 220 (i.e. due to the non-viscous
nature of the
hair-coloring spray in these embodiments), shield 220 nevertheless may provide
geometric
properties that facilitate the protection of the user's scalp from the hair
coloring agent.
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As will be discussed below, in order to provide this protection and/or other
features,
shield 220 may, in some embodiments, provide one or more of the following
features: (i) `thin
elongated' slots having a high `slot aspect ratio'; (ii) an array of closely-
spaced teeth where the
teeth or the voids between the teeth have a `high aspect ratio'; (iii) teeth
with a specific cross-
section shape (for example, triangular); and/or one or more additional
features discussed
herein
The device 200 comprises (i) a relatively flat hair-penetrating shield 220 and
(ii) an
aerosol assembly 400. Hair-coloring aerosol spray is dispensed from aerosol
opening/outlet
210 over the `front' surface 280 of shield 220 - the path taken by the aerosol
onto the top/front
surface 280 is illustrated by the block arrow labeled "spray" in FIGS. 13A-
13C, and is also
labeled as element 430 in FIG. 11B.
While not a limitation, in some embodiments, the spray is a `fan spray'
configured to
angularly distribute aerosol spray substantially uniformly over an angle that
is at least 20
degrees or at least 30 degrees or at least 40 degrees and/or at most 180
degrees and/or at most
120 degrees and/or at most 90 degrees and/or at most 70 degrees and/or at most
50 degrees
and/or at most 40 degrees. In some embodiments, the fan spray produced by the
aerosol
assembly has a substantially planar shape (i.e. in a plane that is
substantially parallel to the
relatively flat surfaced of shield 220 and/or intersects this surface at an
angle of less than 30
degrees or less than 20 degrees or less than 10 degrees). A discussion about
the spray
assembly including the orifice and the `spray insert' is provided below with
reference to FIG.
30.
In some embodiments, (i) this aerosol spray is directed to the front surface
280 of
shield 220; and (ii) the mechanical structure of shield 220 blocks this
aerosol from reaching
space 450 beneath shield 220 - i.e. space on the side of shield 220 defined by
bottom/back
surface 290 of shield 220. In the example of FIGS. 11-12, shield 220 may be
oriented so that
back surface 290 is held against the user's scalp which is `below' back
surface 290 - see FIGS.
11-12 where the front surface 280 `faces away from the user's scalp, while the
back surface
290 (not visible in FIGS. 11-12) is pressed again the user's scalp. In this
example, shield 220
is oriented to that the relatively flat structure of shield 220 is pressed
against and substantially
parallel to the `local relatively flat surface' of the user's scalp.
For the present disclosure, the terms `above' and `below' shield 220 refer to
`above'
and `below' shield 220 along the `shield thickness axis' 270 defined in FIGS.
13A-13C
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irrespective of shield 220 or device 200 orientation. In FIGS. 13B-13C, the
region `above'
shield 220 is labeled as 702, while the region `below' shield 220 is labeled
as 704. Because the
term `above' and `below' are defined irrespective of shield 220 or device 200
orientation, in
the example of FIG 11, even though shield 220 is substantially vertical, the
region into which
5 the hair-coloring aerosol is spray is `above' shield 220, while the scalp to
which back surface
290 of shield is pressed is `below' shield 220.
As noted above, one function of device 200 is to protect or shield the scalp
`below' the
shield from being directly subjected to the hair-coloring agent delivered as
an aerosol. Another
10 function of device 200 is to facilitate the deliver of the hair-coloring
agent to the hair strands -
for example, to the roots of the hair. Thus, shield 220 may include a
plurality of relatively
narrow slots 480 (see FIG. 11C) that are wide enough to accommodate strands of
hair but not
much wider. As illustrated in FIG. 11C, these slots may be generally aligned
with each other
and/or generally aligned with longitudinal axis 250 of the shield.
15 For the present disclosure, a slot at a given location (e.g at a
`longitudinal location'
having a value along the slot axis or tooth axis or longitudinal axis 250) may
have a `shield-
thickness-spanning' property at a location if it is possible to traverse the
slot, at the given
location, in the `thickness/height' direction - i.e. along shield thickness
axis 270. Thus, with
reference to FIGS. 13B-13C, it would be possible to `travel' via the slot at
the given location
has a `shield-thickness-spanning' property from the region 704 upward to
region 702 (or vise-
versa).
The strands of hair 310 rooted in the user's scalp traverse the narrow slots
(i.e. along
the `shield thickness axis' 270 defined in FIGS. 13A-13C from back surface 290
to front
surface 280) to emerge `above the shield' into region of space `above' the
shield 702. As
shown in FIG. 1 1C, these hair strands 310 (or a portion thereof) then may be
`co-located' with
the sprayed hair-coloring aerosol in the region above shield 702 and subjected
to the sprayed
hair-coloring agent to facilitate the coloring of hair roots.
In some embodiment, (i) the narrow slots 480 are indeed narrow (for example,
having
a narrowest width in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm - for example, at least 0.2
mm or at least
0.3 mm - for example, at most 1 mm or at most 0.8 mm or at most 0.7 mm or at
most 0.7 mm
or at most 0.6 mm), and (ii) the shield 220 is geometrically structured to
substantially lack
other features (i.e. holes, orifices, openings, etc) that would allow aerosol
to traverse shield
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220 in a `downwards' direction along axis 270 from region 702 to region 704.
Thus, it is
possible to provide a device and method which will substantially localize the
aerosol-delivered
hair-coloring agent to the front surface 280 (and hence, localize the aerosol-
delivered hair-
coloring agent to the hair strands 310 or in some preferable embodiments to
roots of hair
strands 310) of shield 220 while protecting the scalp which is located `below
shield 220' in
region 704.
In addition, in some embodiments, due to the narrowness of slots 480 and/or to
the
`denseness' of material in space defined by shield 220, shield 220 is not
really a comb.
Instead, shield 220 may be used to penetrate (to a certain degree) into the
hair region
substantially at the `border' region 490 between the mass of hair and the
user's forehead (see
FIG. 11) and/or in regions of hair parts (see FIG. 12) - in some embodiments,
it may be
difficult for the hair-penetrating shield to penetrate much deeper into the
user's hair mass.
Nevertheless, in many use-scenarios, a user colors or dyes a majority of
his/her hair
from a `natural color' to a `target hair color' using any technique known in
the art. At a later
time (for example, a few days or few weeks later), the user's hair has grown
so that the roots
of his/her hair revert back to the `natural' color. In many of these use
cases, rather than
rectifying this situation by coloring the entire hair mass (or even a
significant fraction), the
user is mainly interested in `touching up' embarrassingly visible regions (for
example, near
border region 490 and/or in a hair part 510) where the hair-roots have
reverted to their natural
color. Towards this end, in some embodiments, the shield may be useful for
this purpose even
if the shield 220 may lack `combing functionality' (i.e. in some embodiments)
and usage may
be substantially confined to these `border' visible regions of the hair.
In order to protect the scalp and/or provide `opportunities' for hair-strands
to upwardly
traverse shield 220 to be exposed to the aerosol-provided hair coloring agent,
shield 220 may,
in some embodiments, provide one or more of the following features: (i) `thin
elongated' slots
having a high `slot aspect ratio'; (ii) an array of closely-spaced teeth where
the teeth or the
voids between the teeth have a `high aspect ratio'; (iii) teeth with a
specific cross-section
shape (for example, triangular) and/or one or more additional features
discussed herein. As
will be discussed below, the `thinness' of slots or voids or gaps may be
useful for hindering
downward motion of even a non-viscous substance- since certain slots or voids
or gaps may
still be wide enough to accommodate hair strands (i.e. whose width may be on
the order of
magnitude of a hundred or hundreds of microns), the `long slot' or `long void'
feature may be
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useful for providing an extended area where hair strands can `upwardly'
traverse the shield
into a space above the shield, where hair-coloring agent (for example,
droplets of spray) may
coat the hair strands.
In another example (see FIG. 15), individual teeth may have some sort of
asymmetric
width profile where the teeth are wider (or conversely, the `slot' or `gap'
between teeth is
narrower) `closer' to the bottom 290 surface while the teeth are narrower (or
conversely, the
`slot' or `gap' between teeth is wider) near the top 280 surface. As will be
discussed below,
locating the `minimum gap location' near the bottom may be useful for
facilitating where the
hair roots, in particular, are subjected to the hair-coloring agent - for
example, including black
hair color and/or hair coloring agent capable of `coating' the hair.
Another feature that may be provide by device 200 whose use is illustrated in
FIGS.
11-12 is the ability to `penetrate' into the user's hair at a `border
location' when the shield is
oriented substantially parallel to the local plane of the user's head.
In order to facilitate the penetration (for example, the `shallow penetration'
into full
hair (e.g. thick hair of an Indo-European or an African or an Asian) of shield
220 into a mass
of hair, it may be useful to provide hair-penetrating elements 240 (for
example, see FIGS.
11 C, 16-17). Nevertheless, in some embodiments, due to the narrowness of
slots 480 (also
note the narrowness of `intertooth gaps' 370 which may define the narrowest
location of slots
480 - see FIGS. 17, 19, 21), the shield may provide diminished or no `combing
functionality.'
In one example, the `shallow penetration' is limited to up to 3 cm or up to 5
cm or up to 7 cm
into the `full hair.'
Other features illustrated in FIGS. 11-12 include aerosol control 410, aerosol
container
420 where the hair coloring aerosol may be stored before deliver via
opening/outlet 210, and
device substrate or housing 230 which may provide mechanical connectivity or
mechanical
coupling between shield 220 and aerosol assembly 400. In one non-limiting
example, aerosol
assembly 400 may be directly or indirectly fastened to shield 220 via any
fastener known in
the art, including but not limited to a clip, a screw apparatus, a magnetic
fastener or any other
fastener known in the art. For example, aerosol assembly 400 may be detachably
attachable to
shield 220. In another embodiment, aerosol assembly 400 (or a portion thereof)
and shield 220
may be glued together or welded together, or integrally formed with each
other.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 13A-13C which are side views of the device 200
(or
portions thereof). FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate the proximal 228 and distal 224
ends of shield
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220 which define a general `proximal-distal' direction 226. The distance
between proximal
228 and distal 224 ends is referred to as the `proximal-distal distance.' In
the example of
FIGS. 11-13, the spray (or some sort of `spray vector' defining a central
tendency of the
directions that aerosol spray delivered from opening/outlet 210 takes) may be
along proximal-
distal direction 226, and/or generally aligned with longitudinal axis 250.
In the non-limiting example of FIG. 13B, the outlet/opening 210 via which the
hair-
coloring aerosol is (i) delivered is `elevated' above the substantially flat
surface/substantially
planar surface of shield 220 by a distance labeled as 440 (in FIG. 13B the
`extension' of the
substantially flat surface of shield 220 is labeled as 470) and (ii) displaced
in a proximal
direction behind proximal end 228 by a distance labeled as 442. In some
embodiments, the
`height' indicated by 440 may be at least 1 mm or at least 3 mm or at least 5
mm or at least 1
cm or at least 1.5 cm or at least 2 cm or at least 5% AND/OR at least 10% or
at least 20% or at
least 30% of the `proximal-distal' distance AND/OR at least 1.5 times or at
least 2 times or at
least 3 times or at least 5 times or at least 7 times an average thickness of
shield 220. In some
embodiments where shield 220 comprises a tooth array comprising a plurality of
substantially
aligned teeth (see, for example, FIGS.15-21) , the `height' indicated by 440
may be at least 1.5
times or at least 2 times or at least 3 times or at least 5 times or at least
7 times an average
tooth thickness averaged over teeth of the tooth array.
In some embodiments, the `backward displacement distance' indicated by 470 may
be
at least 5 mm or at least 1 cm or at least 1.5 cm or at least 2 cm AND/OR at
least 10% or at
least 20% or at least 30% or at least 50% a proximal-distal distance' between
proximal 228
and distal 224 ends of shield 220.
In some embodiments, elevating and/or displacing aerosol outlet 210 in a
distal
direction may be useful for `creating some distance' between the aerosol
outlet 210 and shield
220. In some embodiments, if aerosol outlet 210 is too close to shield 220,
then the risk of
aerosol-delivered hair coloring agent (for example, delivered as a stream of
droplets)
penetrating in a downwards direction from region 702 and top surface 280 via
the shield to
below bottom surface 290 to regions 704 (where the scalp is), may increase.
As indicated in FIG. 13C, although the spray (e.g. a stream of droplets) may
initially
leave outlet/opening 210 in a direction that may be along proximal-distal
direction 226, the
path of the aerosol may curve towards shield 220 onto upper/top surface 280 to
contact and
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color hair 310 which upwardly extended via shield the spray (or some sort of
`spray vector'
defining a central tendency of the direction that hair-coloring aerosol spray
delivered from
opening/outlet 210 takes) may be along proximal-distal direction 220 into
region 702 above
shield 220. In some embodiments, this hair coloring spray may include a fast-
drying hair
coloring agent and/or may include a `temporary' hair coloring agent which
`wears off after
one or a few hair washings and/or within a short period of time that is at
most a few weeks or a
few days.
As noted above, the shield 220 may be useful for hindering `downward' motion
(i.e.
from region 702 above the shield to region 704 below the shield) of even non-
viscous hair-
coloring agent.
In one non-limiting example, the non-viscous hair-coloring agent may include a
dye
(for example, a basic hair dye) mixed with a non-viscous carrier such as an
alcohol-based
carrier. In non-limiting examples, the droplets are at least 5% or at least
10% or at least 15%
by weight alcohol. In non-limiting example, the stream of droplets have a
particle size that is
less than 200 microns or less than 100 microns or less than 80 microns or less
than 60 microns
and/or at least 5 microns or at least 10 microns or at least 20 microns or at
least 30 microns.
A `non-viscous' substance (for example, fluid) is a substance that `runs' or
`flows',
may have a viscosity that is less than 100 cps (and/or less than 100 times the
viscosity of
water at 20 degrees C), or less than 75 cps (and/or less than 75 times the
viscosity of water at
20 degrees C), or less than 50 cps(and/or less than 50 times the viscosity of
water at 20
degrees C), or less than 30 cps (and/or less than 30 times the viscosity of
water at 20 degrees
C), or less than 20 cps(and/or less than 20 times the viscosity of water at 20
degrees C), or less
than 10(and/or less than 10 times the viscosity of water at 20 degrees C), or
less than 5 cps
(and/or less than 5 times the viscosity of water at 20 degrees C)or less than
3 cps (and/or less
than 3 times the viscosity of water at 20 degrees C)or less than 2 cps (and/or
less than 2 times
the viscosity of water at 20 degrees C)or less than 1 cps (and/or less than
the viscosity of water
at 20 degrees C) (cps is centipoises).
In some embodiments, having a `low-viscosity' hair-coloring substance (for
example
delivered as a mist) may obviate the need for a user to `comb in' or `work in'
the hair coloring
agent into the hair (as would be the case of a mist). In user would merely
spray the hair color
into the hair, and the droplets (for example, that arrive directly from the
aerosol spraying
opening and/or droplets the ricochet from other strands of hair) serve to coat
the user's hair. In
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one example, this may take place without causing multiple strands of hair to
stick to each
other.
In some embodiments, presence of a `high concentration' of a propellant (for
example,
an ether propellant) - for example, at least 15% or at least 20% or at least
25% or at least
5 30% or at least 35% and/or use of an alcoholic solvent facilitates the fast
drying of the coated
hair strands - for example, within a few minutes.
FIG. 13C-13D illustrate another view of device 220 - for example, a cross
section of
area spanned by the vectors of shield thickness axis 270 and lateral axis 260
(the lateral
direction of lateral axis 260 is also illustrated in FIG. 14). There is no
requirement for shield
10 220 to be flat or generally flat. In the non-limiting example of FIGS. 13C-
13D, generally flat
shield is `gently concave down' to provide some sort of gentle shallow and
wide cavity into
which a portion of the user's scalp may be placed.
In some embodiments, shield 220 may comprise a plurality of teeth, as
illustrated in
FIG. 14. In the example of FIGS. 14-29, each tooth includes a respective main
portion 330 and
15 a respective distal portion 240. In some embodiments, a gap between the
teeth (for example, a
narrowest gap or minimum gap distance 370 at a location between the top 246
and bottom 248
of a pair of teeth) may relate to slots 480 discussed above.
In the non-limiting example of FIGS. 15-29, shield 220 comprises a tooth array
comprising exactly 22 teeth. This is not a limitation. In some embodiments,
shield 220 may
20 include at least 5, or at least 8, or at least 10, or at least 12, or at
least 20, or exactly 22
generally aligned teeth. In the non-limiting example of FIGS. 15-21, the teeth
are all exactly
parallel to each other - this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the
`generally aligned'
teeth may be substantially parallel, or may diverge from each other closer to
distal end 224 or
converge.
One salient feature that may be provided by the teeth of the non-limiting
example of
FIG. 15 is that these teeth are relatively long/tall and narrow and/or
relatively long/tall and
thin.
For the present disclosure, the `width' of a tooth (i.e. at any location along
the tooth
axis) refers to the dimension of the tooth along the lateral axis 260. As will
be discussed
below (see FIG. 21) this width, for any particular tooth, may vary at
different locations along
the shield thickness axis 270 (or along the tooth axis or along the
longitudinal axis 250). In the
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non-limiting example of FIGS. 17, 19 and 21, the `width' at the `bottom' of
each tooth 248 is
labeled as 360, while the width near the `top' of each tooth is labeled as
350.
For the present disclosure, the `thickness' or `height' of a tooth is the
dimension of the
tooth along the shield thickness axis 270. As is evident from the figures, the
height or
thickness may vary along lateral axis 260 or along the tooth axis or along the
longitudinal axis
250.
As was noted above, one salient feature that may be provided by the teeth of
the non-
limiting example of FIG. 14 is that these teeth are relatively long/tall and
narrow and/or
relatively long/tall and thin - i.e. they may have a `large aspect ratio'. In
some embodiments,
for every tooth of a tooth array of shield 220, or for a majority of teeth of
tooth array (or for at
least 30% or at least 70% of teeth of the tooth array - possible numbers of
teeth of the tooth
array are listed above), at least one of TOOTH _RATIO _1, TOOTH - RATIO-2 and
TOOTH_RATIO_3 may be at least 10, or at least 15, or at least 20, or at least
25, or at least
30, or at least 40..
TOOTH-RATIO-1 is defined as the ratio between the tooth length and the average
tooth width (i.e. averaged for all locations in the tooth along the shield
thickness axis 270 and
along the length of the tooth - either including or excluding distal tapered
section 240 (hair-
penetrating probe section 240)). TOOTH RATIO 2 is defined as the ratio between
the tooth
length and the average tooth thickness (i.e. averaged for all locations in the
tooth along the
lateral axis 260 and along the length of the tooth - either including or
excluding distal tapered
section 240 (hair-penetrating probe section)). TOOTH_RATIO_3 is the ratio
between the
tooth length and the average cross-sectional tooth area (FIG. 21 illustrates
`slices' or cross-
sections of teeth) - TOOTH RATIO 3 is averaged along the length of the tooth -
either
including or excluding distal tapered section 240 (hair-penetrating probe
section)).
Another salient feature that may facilitate the temporary coloring of hair
roots while
the scalp is protected is the feature where the `tooth is relatively wide the
bottom of the tooth'
while `relatively narrow' near the top of the tooth.
In some embodiments, in order to provide this functionality, the tooth cross
section
may be triangularly-shaped - for example, with a wider base and a narrower
top. This is
illustrated in FIG. 15..
Also illustrated in FIG. 15 is the process whereby hair with grey roots may be
treated
to coat the hair strand (for example, at the root) with black hair-color.
Thus, FIG. 15A
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illustrates `before' treatment, FIG. 15B illustrates one example of the spray
process, and FIG.
15C illustrates the hair strands `after' treatment according to one non-
limiting example.
In the non-limiting example of FIGS. 14-21, all of the teeth have identical
shapes and
cross sections (not necessarily identical length) - this is clearly not a
limitation and in some
embodiments, there may be variation among tooth dimensions and/or dimensions
describing
the geometrical relationships of multiple (e.g. laterally-adjacent or
laterally-neighboring teeth)
teeth (e.g. tooth gap distances).
Furthermore, the tooth cross section may longitudinally vary along the `tooth
axis' (not
shown in the figures).
Furthermore, in the non-limiting examples of FIGS. 15-29, the teeth are
exactly
straight - i.e. some sort of internal `tooth axis' (i.e. the elongate or
central axis of the tooth)
always corresponds to longitudinal axis 250. This is not a limitation, and
even if the `local
tooth axis' over `very short' distance is a straight line, it is appreciated
that when a tooth is not
perfectly straight, the central/elongate tooth axis (not illustrated) may
provide curvature or
sharp angles - instead of being a `straight line' it is possible to think of
the tooth axis as a one-
dimensional manifold in space that will, in many embodiments, be generally
aligned with
longitudinal axis 250 and approximate a straight line.
One salient feature that may be provided by the device of FIGS. 14-29 is that
(i) the
width of the tooth may vary over different `heights' in the tooth (e.g. over
shield thickness axis
270) and (ii) this width function may provide an `asymmetric width profile'
(i.e. referring to
the width of the tooth at one or more locations along the tooth length - for
example, at a
majority of locations over the length of the tooth, or at a majority of
locations over a `given
section' of the tooth whose length is at least 2 cm).
Some features described herein may relate to a `given section `or `control
section' of
the main portion 330 of a tooth or teeth (i.e. a `lengthwise section' or a
`longitudinal section')
that is at least 2 cm or at least 2.5 cm or at least 3 cm or at least 3.5 cm
or at least 4 cm. This
`longitudinal' section may be located at any location on the tooth. In some
embodiments, this
`given section' may be located near the distal end of shield 220 - for
example, lengthwise
adjacent to (i.e. bordering or less than 5 mm or 1 cm from) to the tapered
distal section 240
(e.g. `probe-shaped - for example, including a rounded end).
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In the non-limiting example of FIG. 21, the tooth cross section has a
triangular cross
section (for example, a rounded isosceles triangle). Other cross sections
shapes are possible
including but not limited to other examples of `substantially triangular cross-
section shapes.'
In the example of FIG. 21, the tooth has a relatively wide width at the bottom
of the
tooth 248 (e.g. 360) and a relatively narrow width at or near the top 246 of
the tooth).
Another salient feature of FIG. 21 is that the minimum gap width for the cross-
section (i.e.
between laterally adjacent pairs of teeth - for example, the gap 3701 between
teeth 3301 and
330J) is located near or at the bottom of the tooth 248.
By locating this `minimum gap' near the bottom of the tooth, it is possible
for the root
of the hair strand 310 to be located within void region 390 between laterally-
adjacent teeth
above the location of the minimum gap distance 370. In some embodiments, it
may be useful
or important to allow the root of hair strand 310 (rather than only a more
distal location within
the hair strand past the root) to traverse the location of the minimum gap
distance 370 and
emerge above this location into void region 390 between teeth above the
`undulating' upper
surface 280 of the shield defined by the upper surfaces of the teeth. Because
the root of the
hair strand (and not just an upper location of the hair strand) is located in
the `aerosol-
exposed' region 702 above upper surface 280, rather than the `aerosol
shielded' region 704
below a location of the minimum gap distance 370 (and below the lower/bottom
surface 290
of shield 220), this `minimum-gap-traversing' hair root can be subjected to
the hair-coloring
agent provided by the hair-coloring aerosol spray.
In some embodiments, the average or individual void cross section (i.e. for a
longitudinal section that is at least 2 cm or at last 2.5 cm or at least 3 cm
at least 4 cm or at
least 5 cm or longer) may be (i.e. either for a single tooth or single slot or
for an array of any
number of teeth or slots or voids - i.e. either on average for the array or
individually for any
number within an array of slots or teeth or voids) at most 6 mm^2 or at most 5
mm^2 or at
most 4 mm^2 or at most 3 mm^2 or at most 2 mm^2 - in some embodiments, the
average or
individual void cross section may be at least 0.5 mm^2 or at least I mm^2.
This `void cross-
section' may prevail on average over the section, or may prevail for at least
a significant
minority of locations, for at least majority of locations (synonymously `for
most locations), or
at least a significant or very significant majority of locations of the
section. This may be true
on average for any number of teeth of a tooth array (or voids formed
therefrom) or any number
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24
of slots or voids of a slot/void array and/or be true individually for a
significant minority or
majority or significant majority or very significant majority of teeth (i.e.
the resulting voids
formed therefrom) of the tooth array.
In some embodiments, the average or individual tooth cross section (i.e. for a
longitudinal section that is at least 2 cm or at last 2.5 cm or at least 3 cm
at least 4 cm or at
least 5 cm or longer) may be (i.e. either for a single tooth or for any number
of teeth - i.e.
either on average or individually for an array of any number within an array
of teeth) at most 6
mm^2 or at most 5 mm^2 or at most 4 mm^2 or at most 3 mm^2 or at most 2 mm^2 -
in some
embodiments, the average or individual void cross section may be at least 0.5
mm^2 or at least
1 mm^2. This `tooth cross-section' may prevail on average over the section, or
may prevail
for at least a significant minority of locations, for at least majority of
locations (synonymously
`for most locations), or at least a significant or very significant majority
of locations of the
section. This may be true on average for any number of teeth of a tooth array
(or voids formed
therefrom) and/or be true individually for a significant minority or majority
or significant
majority or very significant majority of teeth (i.e. the resulting voids
formed therefrom) of the
tooth array.
As may be observed from the figures, the `upper surface of the void regions
390'
and/or `the upper surface defined by connecting top locations 246 of the
teeth' (this is marked
by 340) may deviate from the `upper/top' surface 280 of the shield or of the
teeth (e.g. above
the `minimum gap location' of the `minimum gap distance' 370)
One salient feature observable in FIG. 21 is that the upper surface 280 is
relatively
rough with oscillating heights (along the lateral axis) while the lower
surface 290 is relatively
smooth 290 (and a local level, it may be substantially planar). In some
embodiments, the
geometry where (i) the lower surface 290 is relatively smooth and where (ii)
the minimum gap
location of minimum gap distance 370 is closer to or at the bottom 248 of the
teeth is useful
for helping the hair strand 310 traverse the minimum gap location 370 at the
hair root. On the
other hand, if the minimum gap distance 370 were to be higher and/or if the
lower/bottom
surfaced were to have large `height/vertical' variations, this might, at least
somewhat (without
leaving the scope of the invention), somewhat reduce the effectiveness of the
device because
hair coloring might tend to be concentrate at a higher location on the hair
strand 310 rather
than at the root.
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The previous paragraph (and any other feature or figure described herein)
refers to
some features that may be provided by some embodiments - this is not intended
as limiting.
In some embodiments, because the upper surface 280 may tend to undulate or
oscillate
along the lateral axis while the lower surface may lack such
undulations/oscillations (or they
5 may only be present to a slight extent), the `upper 280 surface' may be a
rough surface (i.e.
have a rough topography), while the lower 290 surface may be a `smooth'
surface. Thus may
also be observed by comparing FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 to FIG. 18 - while the width
of the teeth
in the front surface may vary significantly between the bottom and top of the
teeth (compare
350 and 360) on the front side (looking `down), in FIG. 18, it may observed
that the back
10 surface 290 is significantly smoother. In FIG. 18, back surface 290
includes wider teeth (i.e. at
or near the bottom 248 - as opposed to the front surface when looking down the
width may
vary significantly) punctuated by relatively narrow gaps 370..
In a non-limiting example, the `minimum gap width' 370 of the narrow gaps is
at least
0.2 mm or at least 0.3 mm or at least 0.4 mm. In a non-limiting example, the
`minimum gap
15 width' 370 of the narrow gaps is at most .1.2 mm or at most 1 mm or at most
0.8 mm or at
most 0.7 mm or at most 0.6 mm. This may be for any number of teeth of a tooth
array (i.e.
significant minority, majority, significant majority, very significant
majority) and/or averaged
over any length of tooth or slot (i.e. for a `section' at least significant
minority of locations, at
least majority of locations or synonymously `most locations, or at least
significant or very
20 significant majority of locations)
In FIG. 21D, the `highest location' or `top' of various teeth are labeled as
246. The
`bottom' or lowest point on the shield thickness axis 270 is labeled as 248.
The `halfway'
point (this may be a locus of points if the top of bottom of the teeth are a
locus of points) 249
are also illustrated in FIG. 21 D. Nevertheless, all points of the `locus of
points for 249' (or the
25 top-point midpoint) would have the same `height' 923 above the bottom 248 -
see also FIG.
23C.
In some embodiments, for a majority (or a significant majority - i.e. at least
70% or
80%) of locations within 2 cm lengthwise `control section' or `given section'
of the tooth, the
ratio between the `maximum width 360 of the tooth' (in some embodiments, the
maximum
width 360 may be located in the lower half or lower 30% or lower 20% or lower
10% of the
tooth - where the upper sections and lower sections of the tooth are defined
along thickness
axis 270 and relative to the top 246 and bottom 248 of the teeth) and the
`minimum gap
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26
distance' 370 may be at least 1.3 or at least 1.5 or at least 1.7 or least 2.
The skilled artisan is
directed, for example to FIGS. 19A and 18. This `ratio feature' may be
provided over a `tooth
set' of at least 2 or at least 3 or at least 4 or at least 5 or at least 7 or
at least 10 or at least 12 or
at least 15 consecutive teeth. In some embodiments, this feature may be
provided such that for
the majority of `adjacent gap pairs' 370 (in FIG. 17A, 3701 and 370J are
`adjacent gap pairs -
3701 and 370K are not `adjacent gap pairs') the distance between adjacent
`gaps' 370 (or, in
some embodiments, the average of the distances between the adjacent gap pairs)
is at most 2
cm or at most 1.7 cm or at most 1.5 cm
It is possible to define a `fill factor' of a 2D surface or of a 3D volume of
space (i.e.. a
`control area' or `control volume') that includes both (i) `matter of shield
220' or `matter of
teeth 330' (for example, plastic or any other appropriate material) as well as
(ii) void or empty
space (for example, 390 or 702 or 704). The `fill factor' refers to the ratio
of. (i) the total area
(or volume) within the `control area' (or `control volume') that is occupied
by matter
DIVIDED BY; (ii) the total size (i.e. area or volume) of the control volume.
One example of a `control' volume is illustrated in FIGS. 22A-22B (labeled as
810).
The `measurement' or `length' of the control volume in the longitudinal
dimension 250 may
be at least 1 cm or at least 2 cm or at least 3 cm. The `measurement' of
`length' of the control
volume in the `transverse direction' 260 may be at least 0.5 cm or at least 1
cm or at least 1.5
cm or at least 2 cm. In some embodiments, the `fill factor' may be at least
60% or at least
70% or at least 75% or at least 80% or at least 85% or at least 90% or at
least 95%.
The control area or the control volume may by substantially flat - e.g. in the
lateral
direction, following the contour of a mid-line or mid-curve of the shield
(i.e. connecting
`midpoints' of adjacent teeth where the midpoint is defined by the `average
location' of the top
246 and bottom 248 of the tooth) following the contour of the bottom/lower
surface 290.
In some embodiments, in the direction along the `lateral direction' along the
lateral
direction, the control area or the control volume includes a plurality of
elongated slots (i.e.
these slots are `voids' and may correspond with the `minimum gap 370' or a
location slightly
above or below), each slot being at least 0.5 cm or 1 cm or 1.5 cm or 2 cm in
length, where
either (i) the average `lateral distance between laterally-adjacent slots' is
at most 4 mm or at
most 3 mm or at most 2.5 mm or at most 2 mm; and/or (ii) a majority of slots
(or a significant
majority of slots - e.g. at least 70% or 80% of the slots) have a longitudinal-
average width that
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27
is least 0.2 mm or at least 0.3 mm and at most 1.2 mm or at most 1 mm or at
most 0.8 mm or
at most 0.7 mm or at most 0.6 mm; (iii) a ratio between an average slot-slot
lateral distance
.and an average slot width is at most 4 or at most 3 (if this ratio is `too
high' and/or the slots
are laterally spaced `far from each other' this may `reduce the opportunities
for hair strands to
upwardly traverse shield 220.
FIG. 23 relates to a use case where the cross section of not all teeth is the
same. In FIG.
23A, the top of the tooth is 246, the bottom is 248, and the `midpoint' or
line is 249. This line
may delineate two regions - a `higher region' above 249 nearer to the top 246
of the tooth
(this region will on average be narrower), and a `lower region' below 249
nearer to the bottom
246 of the tooth (this region will on average be narrower).
In some embodiments, a ratio between (i) an average tooth cross width in this
`lower
region' below 249 and (ii) an average tooth cross width in this `higher
region' above 249 may
be at least 1.1 or at least 1.2 or at least 1.3 or at least 1.4 or at least
1.5 or at least 1.6 or at least
1.7 or at least 1.8 or at least 1.9 or at least 2 or at least 2.5
The `average tooth cross section' width may be averaged according to any
technique
disclosed herein - for example, longitudinally over the tooth axis in a
certain region of the
entirety of the tooth and/or between any set of teeth (or sub-set) of the
tooth array.
In FIG. 24B, the `upper region' is defined as above point 911 (3/4 of the way
to the
top) while the `lower region' is defined as below point 909 (3/4 of the way to
the bottom).
In some embodiments, a ratio between (i) an average tooth cross width in this
`lower
region' below 909 and (ii) an average tooth cross width in this `higher
region' above 911 may
be at least 1.3 or at least 1.5 or at least 1.7 or at least 2 or at least 2.5
or at least 3 or at least 4
or at least 5 or at least 7 or at least 10. The `average tooth cross section'
width may be
averaged according to any technique disclosed herein - for example,
longitudinally over the
tooth axis in a certain region of the entirety of the tooth and/or between any
set of teeth (or
sub-set) of the tooth array.
In FIG. 23C-23D, it is shown that the void or slot 390 may, in contrast to the
teeth, be
`wider near at the top' ('near the top' is defined as above mid-height level
923 in FIG.23C and
above three-quarters height level 925 in FIG. 23D) and `narrower near the
bottom' ('near the
top' is defined as below mid-height level 923 in FIG.23C and below the one-
quarter height
level 927 in FIG. 23D)
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28
The height ratio (i.e. average height in the wider region divided by average
height in
the narrower region) for the void (i.e. the `wider region is the top' and the
`narrower region' is
the bottom but the principle, for at least the example of FIG. 23, may be
similar. Thus height
ratio for the void may be for FIG. 23C (i.e. any case of the `mid-height
level) at least 1.1 or at
least 1.2 or at least 1.3 or at least 1.4 or at least 1.5 or at least 1.6 or
at least 1.7 or at least 1.8
or at least 1.9 or at least 2 or at least 2.5 and for FIG. 23D (any case of
the quarter or three
quarter level) at least 1.3 or at least 1.5 or at least 1.7 or at least 2 or
at least 2.5 or at least 3 or
at least 4 or at least 5 or at least 7 or at least 10.
As noted above, in some embodiments, the tooth may have an asymmetric width
profile where the region closer to the bottom 248 of the tooth 330 tends to
have a wider/large
width, while the region closer to the top 248 of the tooth 330 tends to have a
narrower/smaller
width. As noted above, this may lead to a situation where the top/upper
surface 280 of shield
220 has a relatively rough topography (for example, undulating) while the
bottom/lower
surface 290 of shield 220 has a relatively `smooth' topography.
In some embodiments, if one were to move a small cylinder 850 (e.g. having a
length
of 1 mm or 2 mm or 3 mm or 5 mm or 1 cm or 1.5 cm or 2 cm or 2.5 cm) in a
lateral direction
over upper surface 280 (e.g. for each tooth pair lower-bounded by the location
of the minimum
gap 370), because the upper surface of topographically rough, this cylinder
would move up
and down as the small cylinder is moved over upper surface 280 - this is shown
in the frames
of FIG. 24A-24F.
Various numbers describing possible cylinder sizes may refer either to
cylinder radius
or cylinder diameter. In one example, the cylinder 850 has a radius or
diameter of 0.6 mm. In
another example, the cylinder 850 has a radius or diameter of 0.8 mm. In one
example, the
cylinder 850 has a radius or diameter of 0.6 mm. In another example, the
cylinder 850 has a
radius or diameter of 1 mm. In one example, the cylinder has a radius o or
diameter f 0.6 mm.
In another example, the cylinder 850 has a radius or diameter of 1.3 mm.
Possible minimum cylinder radii (or minimum diameters) are: 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm,
0.6
mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm and 2 mm. Possible maximum
cylinder radii (or maximum diameters) are: 2.5 mm, 2 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.4
mm, 1.2 mm,
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29
1 mm, 0.8 mm and 0.4 mm - ranges may be formed by any mixing of any minimum
and any
maximum (for this feature or any feature herein).
In FIGS. 25A-25B, the trajectory of the cylinder from the `experiment' of FIG.
24 is
illustrated - the magnitude/size (i.e. in the `height direction) of the
undulations and/or
oscillations is given by OSC1 and may be at least 0.4 mm or at least 0.6 mm or
at least 0.8 mm
or at least 1 mm or at least 1.2 mm or at least 1.4 mm or at or at least 1.6
mm or at least 1.8
mm or at least 2 mm. This `oscillation' or `undulation' magnitude (which
ultimately describes
surface 280) may be achieved on `distinct' occasions (i.e. separated in the
`lateral direction' by
at least 1 mm or by at least 1.5 or by at least 1.8 mm or by at least 2 mm or
by at least 2.5 mm)
along the lateral directions - for example, at least 3 times or at least 5
times or least 7 times or
at least 10 times or at least 13 times. In the non-limiting example of FIG.
24A, the lateral
separation distance between these `distinct occasions' corresponds to the
substantially periodic
form (i.e. in the lateral 260 direction) of surface 280. However, it is noted
that the surface 280
is not required to be periodic.
In FIG. 26, the experiment of FIG. 24 is repeated, with the same cylinder, for
the
'lower/bottom surface 290.' In FIG. 27, the trajectory is illustrated. the
magnitude/size (i.e. in
the `height direction) of the undulations and/or oscillations is given by OSC2
and may be at
most 1 mm or at most 0.5 mm or at most 0.3 mm or at most 0.3 mm or at most 0.1
mm. In
some embodiments, in order for OSC2 to `count,' it needs to occur only once.
In some
embodiments, it needs to occur at least 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 7 times at
`distinct lateral locations'
separated by at least 1 mm or 1.5 mm or 2 mm.
In some embodiments, OSC1 is larger than OSC2 so that the ratio between OSC 1
and
OSC2 is at least 2 or at least 3 or at least 5 or at least 7 or at least 10.
It is understood that for
the rounded triangles OSC1/OSC2 may be quite large - however, for other shapes
that are also
substantially triangular (for example, if there is some sort of structure
`below' the base, then
OSC1/OSC2 may not be as large.
Various embodiments of the present invention may relate to: methods for
coloring hair
(for example, with an aerosol hair-coloring agent); devices for coloring hair
(for example,
including shield 220 and aerosol assembly 400) kits for coloring hair (for
example, including a
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shield 220 and aerosol assembly 400 or a portion of an aerosol assembly) and
shields 220
configured to be useful for hair coloring. Thus, in some embodiments, shield
220 and aerosol
assembly 400 may be sold separately or as a kit (for example, attachable to
each other either
permanently attachable or detachably attachable.
5 Thus, any `system or device including a shield and an aerosol assembly' may
also be
provided as a `kit including the shield and the aerosol assembly where the
shield and the
aerosol assembly may be coupled to each other (for example, assembly by
fastening at least a
portion of each to each other).
In one non-limiting example, a single kit includes an aerosol assembly and
shields 220
10 of multiple lengths - for example, a `short shield' of a longitudinal
length (e.g. from the tip to
the base of the tooth) of less than 4 cm or less than 4.5 cm, and a `long
shield' of a
longitudinal length (e.g. from the tip to the base of the tooth) of more than
5 cm or more than
5.5 cm or more than 6 cm or more than 6.5 cm (i.e. any combination).
FIG. 28 describes a routine for assembling such a kit into any presently-
disclosed
15 system.
FIG. 29 is a flow chart of using a hair coloring device (see FIGS. 11-12
also).
FIG. 30 describers an aerosol assembly -for example, the orifice has a width
of 0.3
mm in FIG. 30A, the form relatively small droplets (e.g. less than 100 microns
by average, or
less than 80 microns or less than 60 microns or less than 50 microns) - thus,
the width of the
20 orifice may be less than 0.6 mm or less than 0.5 mm.
One salient feature of FIG. 30B, is a `rectangular-shaped spray insert' (e.g.
a ratio
between a length and a width is at least 1.2 or at least 1.4 so that the
produced spray (see the
dotted line which shows a primarily horizontal spray form) is a fan spray, for
example, having
a substantially rectangular cross section.
25 General Discussion of Features
As noted earlier, some embodiments of the present invention relate to a slot
array of
elongated slots or a tooth array of elongated teeth. It is appreciated that
various tooth or slot
properties (for example, relating to a width profile, an aspect ratio, a cross-
section shape, a gap
distance near teeth) may not be required to prevail for a majority of teeth
and/or for a majority
30 of locations along elongated tooth or slot axis (i.e. within the entirety
of the tooth or the slot or
within a given elongated `section').
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31
For any feature or combination of features disclosed herein for a `majority of
teeth'
(i.e. of a plurality of teeth) or a majority of voids or slots (i.e. for a
plurality of voids or slots)
this feature may also apply (i.e. any feature or combination of features ), in
alternative
embodiments, to a `significant minority' (i.e. at least 30%) or to a
`significant majority' (i.e.
at least 70%) or a `very significant majority' (i.e. at least 90%) of teeth or
voids or slots.
Similarly, for any feature or combination of features disclosed herein for
"most
locations' (i.e. for at least 50% of the locations) within a `section' of a
tooth or slot or void or
the shield (i.e. along a longitudinal or central axis) along a longitudinal
axis and/or along
length of tooth and/or along a length of slots or a length of voids between
neighboring teeth,
this feature of may also apply to `significant minority' (i.e. at least 30%)
of locations within
the section or to a `significant majority' (i.e. at least 70%) of locations in
the section or a
`very significant majority' (i.e. at least 90%) of teeth of locations in the
section along a
longitudinal axis.
Some features (or combinations of features) are disclosed for `sections of
teeth' or
`section of shield' having a given length. For any feature or combination of
features, this
length may be at least 2 cm, or at least 2.5 cm or at least 3 cm or at least
3.5 cm or at least 4
cm.
When a feature (or feature combination) is disclosed for a majority or
significant
minority or significant majority or a very significant majority of a number of
slots or voids or
teeth, this number of teeth or slots or voids may be at least 8, at least 10,
at least 12, at least 14,
at least 16, at least 18, or at least 20 for any feature (of combination)
disclosed herein.
Any discussion of `majority' may also apply to `significant minority' (at
least 30%) or
`significant majority' (i.e. at least 70%) or a `very significant majority'
(i.e. at least 90%).
The skilled artisan will know how to choose appropriate materials from which
the
shield or any other component should be constructed. In one non-limiting
example, the shield
is constructed from plastic or any other material apparent to the skilled
artisan after reading the
present disclosure.
In some embodiments, a kit for constructing any presently disclosed system is
described. The kit may include: (i) a hair penetrating shield and (ii) a
aerosol assembly which
when coupled to each other may produce any presently disclosed hair-coloring
device (i.e. that
include both the shield and the aerosol assembly).
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32
In one example, a single kit may include multiple shields such a longer shield
and
shorter shield. A length ratio (i.e. where length is along the longitudinal
direction) between the
lengths of two shields may be at least 1.3 or at least 1.5 or at least 1.7 or
at least 2.
In some embodiments, any kit may include instructions for combining and/or
mating
the aerosol assembly and the hair shield (for example, according to FIG. 28).
In some embodiments, when the `quick-drying' hair-coloring composition is
delivered
to hair (for example, for coat the hair), it may dry on the surface of the
hair in less than 8
minutes or less than 6 minutes or less than 4 minutes or less than 2 minutes.
Generally speaking, a `quick-drying' composition or agent dries faster than
water. In
one example, when a drop (e.g. from an eye-dropper) the "quick-drying'
composition or agent
is placed on a porcelain plate in room temperature conditions, it will dry
faster than the water
(i.e. subjected to a similar porcelain plate experiment). In some embodiments,
the drying time
of the `quick-drying' composition or agent may be closer to the drying time of
alcohol (i.e.
subjected to an identical porcelain plate experiment) than to the drying time
of water.
One salient feature of FIG. 11 is that the shield is relatively long and
narrow. In some
embodiments, the ratio of length to the width of the shield is at least 1.25
or at least 1.5 or at
least 1.7 or at least 2. Use of a `narrow shield' (i.e. whose width is at most
5 cm or at most 4
cm or at most 3 cm or at most 2 cm) may be useful for treating `delicate
areas' though this is
not a requirement.
First Additional Discussion
It is now disclosed for the first time a hair-coloring device for coloring
hair roots, the
device comprising: a) a hair-penetrating shield 220 comprising a tooth array
having top 280
and bottom 290 surfaces and having proximal 228 and distal 224 ends, the tooth
array
including at least eight (or at least 10 or at least 12 or at least 14 or at
least 16 or at least 20)
closely-spaced teeth such that for a majority (or a `significant' or `very
significant' majority)
of teeth of the tooth array: i) each tooth of the majority includes a main
portion 330 and a
tapered distal portion 240 for facilitating hair penetration; and ii) for each
tooth of the majority
, the main portion 330 includes a section having a length of at least 2.5 cm
where for most
locations along the tooth axis within the section:
A) a cross section of the tooth has an asymmetric width profile along
the shield thickness axis 270 such that the tooth cross section, on
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33
average, is narrower near the top 248 of the tooth and the tooth cross
section, on average, is wider near the bottom 246 of the tooth;
B) the tooth cross-section is less than 5 mm^2 (in some embodiments,
less than 3 mmA2 or less than 2.5 mm^2 or less than 2 mm^2 - in some
embodiments, at least 0.5 mm^2 or at least 0.75 mm^2 or at least 1
mm^2); and
C) the tooth is separated from a laterally neighboring tooth to provide a
minimum gap distance 370 that is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm, and
b) an aerosol assembly 400 coupled to the hair-penetrating shield, the aerosol
assembly including an aerosol outlet elevated above the top surface 280 of the
shield, the aerosol assembly configured to dispense or `spray out' a non-
viscous
hair-coloring agent as a mist in a proximal-distal direction defined by the
array
of teeth onto the top 280 surface of the shield 220 such that the hair-
penetrating
shield protects the space beneath the bottom surface from the non-viscous hair-
coloring agent.
In some embodiments, each tooth has a top-bottom midpoint 249 that is midway
between the tooth's top 352 and bottom 362, and wherein for the majority of
teeth of the tooth
array, for most locations along the tooth axis within the section, a width
ratio between: i) a
first average tooth width describing the average tooth width below the top-
bottom midpoint;
and ii) a second average tooth width describing the average tooth width above
the top-bottom
midpoint is at least 1.2 (or at least 1.3 or at least 1.7 or at least 2).
In one example, for the majority of teeth, for most locations along the tooth
axis, the
width ratio is at least 1.6.
In some embodiments, for the majority of teeth, for most locations along the
tooth axis,
the tooth cross section is less than 5 mm^2 or less than than 3 mm^2.
In some embodiments , for the majority of teeth, for most locations along the
tooth
axis: i) each pair of laterally neighboring teeth TI and T2 are positioned to
form a respective
intertooth lateral void 390 that is in between the laterally neighboring teeth
within a height
range having upper and lower bounds,: A) the upper bound being the lower
height of the top
246 of tooth TI and the top 246 of tooth T2, and B) the lower bound being the
greater height
of the bottom 246 of tooth TI and the bottom246 of tooth T2, and ii) a cross
section of the
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34
respective intertooth void has an asymmetric width profile along the shield
thickness axis 270
such that the void cross section, on average, is wider near the top of the
intertooth void 390
and the intertooth void 390, on average, is narrower near the bottom of the
intertooth void
390.
In some embodiments, i) each void has a top-bottom void mid-height level 923
that is
midway between upper and lower bounds of the height range; ii) for the
majority of teeth of
the tooth array, for most locations along the tooth axis within the section, a
width ratio
between: i) a first average void width describing the average void width above
the top-bottom
void mid-height level; ii) a second average void width describing the average
void width
below the top-bottom void mid-height level, is at least 1.1 or at least 1.2 or
at least 1.4 or at
least 1.5 or at least 1.6 or at least 1.8 or at least 2.
It is now disclosed for the first time a hair-coloring device for coloring
hair roots, the
device comprising: a) a hair-penetrating shield 220 having top 280 and bottom
290 surfaces,
comprising a slot array having at least eight (or at least 10 or at least 12
or at least 14 or at
least 16 or at least 20) elongated shield-thickness-spanning narrow slots 480
that are
substantially aligned a proximal-distal direction, the hair-penetrating shield
220 including a
longitudinal section of at least 2.5 cm where: i) for a majority of slots of
the array, each slot
provide a shield-thickness-spanning property throughout a majority of the
longitudinal section
(reminder- as for any `majority' feature this may be a significant or very
significant majority);
ii) an array-wide average cross-section-minimum-slot width is between 0.3 mm
and 1 mm
and/or for the majority of slots of the array each provide, throughout a
majority of the
longitudinal-subsection cross-section-minimum-slot width that is between 0.3
mm and 1 mm
(or at most 0.8 mm); iii) for the majority of slots of the slot array, a slot
aspect ratio within the
longitudinal section is at least 30 (or at least 40 or at least 50 or at least
60 or at least 70 or at
least 80 or at least 90 or at least 100) the slot aspect ratio being defined
by a ratio between the
slot length within the section and an individual-slot longitudinal-averaged
cross-section-
minimum-slot width averaged over the longitudinal section; iv) an array-wide
average slot-slot
lateral distance within the longitudinal section is at most 3 mm and/or at
most a value equal to
3 times the array-wide average cross-section-minimum-slot width within the
longitudinal
section the hair-penetrating shield including a plurality of elongated,
tapered penetrating
elements (for example, having a minimum length of 2 mm or 3 mm or 4 mm and a
ratio
between length and average width of at least 1.5 or at least 2) located at the
distal end of the
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shield 220; and b) an aerosol assembly 400 coupled to the hair-penetrating
shield, the aerosol
assembly including an aerosol outlet elevated above the top surface 280 of the
shield, the
aerosol assembly configured to dispense a non-viscous hair-coloring agent as a
mist in a
proximal-distal direction defined by the array of teeth onto the top 280
surface of the shield
5 220 such that the hair-penetrating shield protects the space beneath the
bottom surface from
the non-viscous hair-coloring agent.
In some embodiments, the laterally-spaced distal penetrating elements may be
spaced
in integral multiples of the slot-slot widths and/or configured to correspond
to the slots.
In some embodiments, for each slot of the majority of slots, for most
longitudinal
10 locations within the longitudinal section, the slot exhibits an asymmetric
width profile along
the shield thickness axis 270 such that the slot thickness is narrower near
the bottom surface
290 of the shield than it is near the top surface 280 of the shield.
In some embodiments, for a majority of a region that is laterally bound by the
first and
last slot of the slot array and within the longitudinal section, the top
surface 280 is rough
15 relative to the bottom surface 290 for a topographic length scale of 1 mm.
It is now disclosed hair-coloring device for coloring hair roots, the device
comprising:
a) a hair-penetrating shield 220 comprising a tooth array having top 280 and
bottom 290
surfaces and having proximal 228 and distal 224 ends, the tooth array
including at least eight
(or at least 10 or at least 12 or at least 14 or at least 16 or at least 20)
closely-spaced teeth such
20 that for a majority of teeth of the tooth array (or a significant or very
significant majority - like
for any feature) i) each tooth of the majority includes a main portion 330 and
a tapered distal
portion 240 for facilitating hair penetration; ii) each tooth of the majority
includes a
longitudinal section having a length of at least 2.5 cm where: A) the aspect
ratio of the tooth
within the section is at least 20, the tooth aspect ratio between defined by a
ratio between the
25 tooth length within the section and a square root of the longitudinally-
averaged tooth cross
section within the section; B) for most locations within the tooth
longitudinal section, the
tooth cross-section is less than 5 mm^2 (or less than 3 mm^2); iii) for most
locations within
the longitudinal section, the tooth is separated from a laterally neighboring
tooth to provide a
minimum gap distance 370 that is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm, b) an aerosol
assembly 400
30 coupled to the hair-penetrating shield, the aerosol assembly including an
aerosol outlet
elevated above the top surface of the shield, the aerosol assembly configured
to dispense a
non-viscous hair-coloring agent as a mist in a proximal-distal direction
defined by the array of
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36
teeth onto the top 280 surface of the shield 220 such that the hair-
penetrating shield protects
the space beneath the bottom surface from the non-viscous hair-coloring agent.
It is now disclosed a hair-coloring device for coloring hair roots, the device
comprising: a) a hair-penetrating shield 220 comprising a tooth array having
top 280 and
bottom 290 surfaces and having proximal 228 and distal 224 ends, the tooth
array including at
least eight (or at least 10 or at least 12 or at least 14 or at least 16 or at
least 20) closely-spaced
teeth such that for a majority of teeth of the tooth array: i) each tooth of
the majority includes
a main portion 330 and a tapered distal portion 240 for facilitating hair
penetration; ii) each
tooth of the majority includes a longitudinal section having a length of at
least 2.5 cm where:
i) for most locations within the tooth longitudinal section, the tooth cross-
section is less than 5
mm"2 (or less than 3 mmA2 or less than 2.5 mm^2 or less than 2 mm^2); ii) the
tooth is
separated from a laterally neighboring tooth to provide a minimum gap distance
370, a ratio
between a length of the longitudinal section of the tooth and the
longitudinally-averaged
minimum gap distance with the laterally neighboring tooth being at least 30
(or at least 40 or
at least 50 or at least 60), the minimum gap distance 370 being, for most
locations within the
longitudinal section, that is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm; and b) an aerosol
assembly 400
coupled to the hair-penetrating shield, the aerosol assembly including an
aerosol outlet
elevated above the top surface of the shield, the aerosol assembly configured
to dispense a
non-viscous hair-coloring agent as a mist in a proximal-distal direction
defined by the array of
teeth onto the top 280 surface of the shield 220 such that the hair-
penetrating shield protects
the space beneath the bottom surface from the non-viscous hair-coloring agent.
It is now disclosed a hair-coloring device for coloring hair roots, the device
comprising: a) a hair-penetrating shield 220 comprising a tooth array having
top 280 and
bottom 290 surfaces and having proximal 228 and distal 224 ends, the tooth
array including at
least eight (or at least 10 or at least 12 or at least 14 or at least 16 or at
least 20) closely-spaced
teeth such that for a majority of teeth of the tooth array (or a significant
or very significant
majority) i) each tooth of the majority includes a main portion 330 and a
tapered distal
portion 240 for facilitating hair penetration; and ii) for each tooth of the
majority , the main
portion 330 includes a section having a length of at least 2.5 cm where for
most locations
along the tooth axis within the section: A) a cross section of the tooth has
an substantial
triangular shape, the substantial triangle pointing upwards along the shield
thickness axis 270;
and B) the tooth cross-section is less than 5 mm^2; and b) an aerosol assembly
400 coupled to
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37
the hair-penetrating shield, the aerosol assembly including an aerosol outlet
elevated above the
top surface 280 of the shield, the aerosol assembly configured to dispense or
spray out a non-
viscous hair-coloring agent as a mist in a proximal-distal direction defined
by the array of
teeth onto the top 280 surface of the shield 220 such that the hair-
penetrating shield protects
the space beneath the bottom surface from the non-viscous hair-coloring agent.
A Second Additional Discussion
Referring now to the drawings, Figures 1-5 illustrate a hair coloring
applicator
constructed in accordance with the present embodiments and particularly useful
for touching-
up hair along a hair line in a quick and convenient manner.
As shown particularly in the exploded view of Figure 5, the hair coloring
applicator
comprises four main components: a container, generally designated 10, for
containing a
quantity of a hair coloring composition; an attachment 20 attachable to one
end of container
10; a shield 30 carried by the attachment; and an outer housing 40 enclosing
container 10 and
serving as a handle for grasping and manipulating the applicator.
As clearly seen in Figure 5, container 10 is an aerosol container of
cylindrical
configuration and may be of any known construction. It includes a quantity of
the hair
coloring composition to be dispensed, which may be in powder or liquid form;
preferably, it
also includes a propellant gas for dispensing the hair coloring composition in
the form of a
spray. One end of aerosol container 10 includes an outlet 12 in the form of a
nozzle through
which the composition is dispensed, and a valve indicated at 14, which is
normally closed, but
which is opened upon tilting or depressing nozzle 12, to dispense the
composition in the form
of a spray via the nozzle.
Attachment 20 is removably attachable to the end of aerosol container 10
including the
nozzle 12. Attachment 20 includes a shield 30, which, as will be more
particularly described
below, exposes the root regions of the hairs to be touched-up, to the hair
coloring composition
spray dispensed via nozzle 12 when valve 14 is opened, while at the same time
effectively
blocking the individual's scalp from exposure to the hair coloring composition
spray. Shield
is fixedly attached to attachment 20, but may also be removably attachable
thereto for
replacement or cleaning purposes. The shield and/or attachment may be
constructed for one-
30 time use, or for repeated use.
The lower end 21 of attachment 20 is of a cylindrical configuration and has an
inner
diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the aerosol container
10. One side of
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38
attachment 20 is formed with a slanted top wall 22 terminating in a top rim 23
formed with a
projection 24 for receiving the shield 30 with a friction or snap fit. When
attachment 20 is
applied over the upper end of aerosol container 10, an opening 25 in slanted
wall 22 is aligned
with nozzle 12 of the aerosol container, whereas a push button 25 is aligned
with valve 14 of
the aerosol container. The construction is such that upon depression of the
push button, nozzle
12 of the container is tilted or depressed to open valve 14, thereby to
produce a spray of the
hair coloring composition over the outer surface of shield 30 via opening 25
in the attachment.
As seen particularly in Figure 5, opening 25 of attachment 20 is located
between push
button 26 and the shield 30 attached to peripheral wall 23 of the attachment.
Nozzle 12, and
opening 25 in the attachment are oriented to produce a fan-shaped spray
directed towards the
proximal (inner) end of the shield.
Shield 30 includes a plurality of spaced teeth 31 extending substantially
parallel to the
longitudinal axis LA of aerosol container 10 and integrally formed with a
spline 32 extending
substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis LA. As shown
particularly in Figure 3,
the teeth 31 of shield 30 are arrayed in a substantially linear array, which
array is offset from
the longitudinal axis LA of the aerosol container. Teeth 31 are of small width
and thickness
and are closely spaced. Preferably, they are less than 2 mm in width,
thickness and spacing,
and are tapered to points at their outer tips.
As will be described more particularly below, when the applicator is used for
touching-up hair along a hair line, the applicator is manipulated such that
surface 30a of
shield 30 serves an inner surface pressed against the individual's scalp,
whereas surface 30b
serves as an outer surface which is exposed to the hair coloring composition
spray dispensed
from nozzle 12 of the aerosol container 10 via opening 22 of the attachment
20.
As shown in Figure 5, the outer housing 40 of the applicator is also of
cylindrical
configuration corresponding to the cylindrical configuration of the aerosol
container 10. The
inner diameter of housing 40 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of
aerosol container
10 so as to snugly receive the aerosol container, and thereby to act as a
handle for gripping and
manipulating the applicator. Preferably the upper surface 41 of outer housing
40, and the
inner rim 27 of the attachment 20, are of complementary curved configurations
so as to
present a pleasing appearance to the applicator when all the parts are
assembled as shown in
Figures 1 and 3, for example.
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39
The manner of using the applicator of Figures 1-5 will be apparent from the
above
description. Thus, after all its parts have been assembled, as shown in
Figures 1-3, the user
grasps the outer housing 40, orients the shield 30 such that surface 30a faces
and presses
against the individual's scalp, and manipulates the applicator such that the
root regions of the
hairs along the hairline to be touched-up are received in the spaces between
teeth 31. The
user then depresses push button 26, to produce a spray via nozzle 12 over the
outer side 30b of
the shield 30, while the shield is moved along the hair line to be touched-up.
The so-
produced spray of hair coloring composition coats the root regions of the
hairs exposed by
teeth 31 at the proximal end of shield 30, whereas the remainder of the shield
effectively
blocks the passage of the hair coloring composition spray to the individual's
scalp.
After the hair coloring composition has been depleted from aerosol container
10, the
holder 40, attachment 20 and shield 30 may be disassembled and applied to a
fresh aerosol
container 10.
The hair coloring applicator illustrated in Figures 6-10 is also constructed
of basically
the same parts as the applicator of Figures 1-5, namely including an aerosol
container 110
(Figure 10), an attachment 120 applied to one end of the aerosol container, a
shield 130 carried
by the attachment, and an outer housing 140 enclosing aerosol container 110
and serving as a
handle for gripping and manipulating the applicator.
The main difference in the applicator illustrated in Figures 6-10 over that
illustrated in
Figures 1-5 is that the outer housing 140, and the attachment 120, are not of
a cylindrical
configuration, but rather of a substantially square configuration with rounded
corners, so as to
present a more comfortable gripping of the applicator when manipulating it, as
well as a more
pleasing outer appearance to the applicator.
In all other respects, the applicator illustrated in Figures 6-10 is
constructed and used
in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to Figures 1-
5.
While the applicator has been described with respect to two preferred
embodiments, it
will be appreciated that these are set forth merely for purposes of example,
and that many
other variations and applications of the invention may be made. For example,
instead of using
an aerosol container for dispensing the hair-dye in the form of a spray, a
pump-type container
may be used wherein the push button 26 is effective to pump out a spray of the
hair-dye,
rather than to open a valve permitting the propellant fluid within the
container to produce the
hair-dye spray. Also, the push button may be on a side wall of the container
rather than on the
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attachment. Further, the teeth of the shield may be non-parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the
container, e.g., 90 or less.
The applicators described herein may contain any hair coloring composition
suitable
for coloring hair, preferably suitable for "touching-up" local areas of an
individual's hair, and
5 more preferably suitable for touching-up hair along a hairline of a subject.
The hair coloring composition can include any hair coloring agent(s)
(pigments),
formulated with a suitable carrier (e.g., designed for forming a hair coloring
composition in
the form of a spray). Preferably, the hair coloring composition is for
temporarily coloring
hair.
10 While the applicators described herein may contain any suitable hair
coloring
composition, the present inventors have developed hair-coloring agents,
formulations and
compositions that are particularly useful when used in the context of these
and other
embodiments of the present invention.
A Third Additional Discussion
According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is
provided
a hair-coloring applicator comprising a container for containing a quantity of
hair-coloring
composition including an outlet at one end of the container through which the
hair-coloring
composition may be dispensed, and a shield projecting outwardly from one end
of the
container. The shield includes a plurality of closely spaced teeth having
inner surfaces to be
pressed against the subject's scalp with the root regions of the hairs passing
through the spaces
between the teeth, and outer surfaces to be exposed to the hair-coloring spray
composition
dispensed from the container such that the hair-coloring composition coats the
root regions of
the hairs passing through the spaces between the teeth, while the teeth
substantially block the
hair-coloring composition from reaching the subject's scalp. The
abovementioned applicator
is particularly useful for touching-up hair along a hairline of an individual.
As used herein, the phrase "touching-up" describes the coloring of hair in a
quick and
simple manner. This phrase further describes the coloring of local areas of
hair, particularly
local areas of gray or white hair such as the root region or parts thereof.
The phrase "root
region" describes the part of a hair closest to the scalp.
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41
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shield is carried by
an
attachment to the end of the container, and the container is an aerosol
container for dispensing
the hair-coloring composition in the form of a spray through a nozzle.
As used herein, the phrase "aerosol container" describes any container
suitable for
releasing a composition contained therein in the form of a spray. For example,
the container
should be capable of withstanding the internal pressure of a pressurized
composition, and the
nozzle should be configured so as to allow escaping pressurized composition to
escape in the
form of an aerosol.
In some embodiments, the abovementioned attachment includes an opening aligned
with the nozzle.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the abovementioned
attachment
further includes a push button controlling the dispensing of hair-coloring
composition via the
nozzle. In some embodiments, the abovementioned opening in the attachment that
is aligned
with the nozzle is located between the shield and the push button, such that
the push button
can be reached through the opening.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the push button and the
opening
are located on an outer surface of the attachment, wherein the attachment
slants towards the
shield.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the spaced teeth of the
shield are
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container. Preferably, the teeth are
arrayed in a
generally linear array that is laterally spaced from the longitudinal axis of
the container.
According an embodiment of the present invention, the teeth are less than 2 mm
in
width, thickness, and spacing.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the teeth are tapered to
a point at
their outer tips.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the applicator further
comprises
an outer housing enclosing the abovementioned container, the outer housing
serving as a
handle for gripping and manipulating the applicator. The outer housing may
have any shape
that is suitable for being held by hand.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer housing and the
container are both cylindrical.
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42
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the container is
cylindrical,
and the outer housing is non-cylindrical.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a hair
coloring
applicator comprising a container containing a quantity of hair coloring
composition and
including an outlet at one end of the container through which the hair
coloring composition is
dispensed and an attachment attached to the end of the container carrying the
outlet, the
attachment including a shield. The shield has a plurality of spaced teeth
which pass between
the subject's hairs to expose the root regions of the hairs passing through
the teeth, while the
teeth substantially block the hair coloring composition from passing through
to the subject's
scalp. Such an applicator is particularly useful for touching-up hair along a
hairline of a
subject.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the hair
coloring
compositions described herein is identified for use in temporary hair coloring
and/or in
coloring white or gray hair.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the hair
coloring
compositions described herein is identified for use in touching-up hair along
a hairline of an
individual.
In one embodiment of the present invention, any of the hair coloring
compositions
described herein is packaged in an applicator adapted for dispensing the
composition onto
hair, and identified for use in hair coloring, as described hereinabove.
Any applicator suitable for applying a composition onto hair may be used.
Exemplary
applicators include, but are not limited to, a wick-type applicator, a squeeze
bottle, an aerosol
container, a comb-type applicator, a drop dispenser and a pump-type
applicator.
As used herein, the phrase "wick-type applicator" encompasses any applicator
comprising a wick which absorbs a quantity of a liquid composition, wherein
the composition
may be applied to a surface by contacting the wick with the absorbed
composition to the
surface. The quantity of the composition absorbed in the wick may be
replenished, for
example, by dipping the wick into a quantity of the composition stored in a
container, or by
part of the wick being in continuous contact with the composition in a
container, the
composition being drawn into the wick via absorption by the wick. The
container containing
the composition may serve as a component of the applicator along with the
wick.
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43
As used herein, the term "wick" describes an article-of-manufacturing capable
of
absorbing a liquid and of allowing the liquid to escape from the surface of
the article-of-
manufacturing.
As used herein, the phrase "squeeze bottle" encompasses any applicator
comprising a
container for storing a composition, the container having at least one
flexible wall, wherein the
composition may be forced out of the container by applying force (e.g.
squeezing) to the
flexible wall(s) of the container. Typically, the container includes a valve
that allows a
composition to exit the container under a certain pressure (such as the
pressure generated by
applying force to the flexible wall of the container), but which prevents
composition from
leaving the container in the absence of such pressure.
As used herein, the phrase "comb-type applicator" encompasses any applicator
comprising a comb or a brush, the comb or brush having a quantity of
composition adhered
thereto, wherein the composition may be applied to a surface by contacting the
comb or brush
to the surface. The quantity of composition which is adhered to the comb or
brush may be
replenished by contacting the comb or brush with a composition stored in a
container. The
container may serve as a component of the applicator.
As used herein, the phrase "drop dispenser" encompasses any applicator
comprising a
container containing therein a liquid composition, the container having a
small opening which
allows the passage of a small quantity of the composition from the inside of
the container
through the opening to the outer surface of the container, thereby resulting
in a small quantity
of composition (i.e. a drop) on the outer surface of the container. The drop
of composition may
be applied to a surface by contacting the drop with the surface. The liquid
composition in the
container may be replenished from a larger quantity of composition stored in a
larger container,
which may serve as a component of the applicator.
As defined herein, the phrase "pump-type applicator" encompasses any
applicator
comprising a container for storing a composition with a pump attached thereto,
wherein the
composition may be forced out of the container by a pressure applied by the
pump. The
container may include a valve that allows a composition to exit the container
under a pressure
applied by the pump, but which prevents composition from leaving the container
in the absence
of such pressure. The pressure applied by the pump may be generated by any
means,
including, but not limited to, by hand (e.g. a syringe), by a spring, by an
electronic motor, or by
a pressurized fluid.
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44
As used herein, the phrase "aerosol container", when used to describe an
applicator,
encompasses any applicator comprising an aerosol container, as this phrase has
been defined
hereinabove. An applicator described as an aerosol container may include
additional
components besides the aerosol container.
When the hair coloring composition is a composition useful for coloring white
and/or
gray hair, the composition is preferably identified as such.
When the hair coloring composition is a composition useful for temporary hair
coloring, the composition is preferably identified as such.
When the hair coloring composition is a composition useful for touching-up
hair along
a hairline of an individual, the composition is preferably identified as such.
The applicators, hair coloring agents and hair coloring compositions described
hereinabove are particularly advantageous when used in combination.
Hence, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an
applicator as described hereinabove, wherein a hair coloring composition to be
contained
therein comprises a suitable carrier and at least one hair coloring agent
selected from the group
consisting of a first hair
coloring agent which comprises a purified polymer of tannic acid having iron
ions
bound thereto, being substantially devoid of unbound iron ions, and a second
hair coloring
agent which comprises a condensation polymer of a reducing carbohydrate and an
amino acid,
as these hair coloring agents are described herein.
The features of the composition are as described hereinabove. Preferably, in
embodiments comprising an applicator which releases a composition in the form
of a spray,
the composition to be contained therein is in the form of a spray, as
described hereinabove.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an applicator,
as described
hereinabove, wherein the hair coloring composition to be contained therein
comprises at least
one hair coloring agent and a carrier which comprises a hydrophobic volatile
solvent, water, a
glycol and a surface active agent, as described hereinabove.
The features of the composition are as described hereinabove. Preferably, in
embodiments comprising an applicator which releases a composition in the form
of a spray,
the composition to be contained therein is in the form of a spray, as
described hereinabove.
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In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair coloring
composition comprising both a carrier described hereinabove and at least one
hair coloring
agent described hereinabove.
The optional and preferable features of the composition are as described
hereinabove.
5 In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an applicator described
hereinabove is combined with a hair coloring composition comprising both a
carrier described
hereinabove and at least one hair coloring agent described hereinabove.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention
will become
10 apparent to one ordinarily skilled in the art upon examination of the
following examples, which
are not intended to be limiting. Additionally, each of the various embodiments
and aspects of
the present invention as delineated hereinabove and as claimed in the claims
section below
finds experimental support in the following examples.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for
clarity, described
in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in
a single
embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for
brevity, described in
the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any
suitable
subcombination.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific
embodiments
thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations
will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such
alternatives,
modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of
the appended claims.
Citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be
construed as an
admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present
invention.
