Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02840078 2015-10-30
BRANCHED APPLICATOR TINES AND AN APPLICATOR BRUSH HEAD
INCORPORATING BRANCHED TINES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to molded applicator tines and an applicator
brush head
made with such tines for applying cosmetic or coloring compounds to hair,
eyelashes,
eyebrows.
2. BACKGROUND:
Brush heads with molded tines, bristles or teeth for applying mascara, color,
dye, tint,
treatment or other hair, lash or brow products are well known.
Applicator brushes with molded tines (as opposed to, for example, brushes with
fiber
bristles secured between the branches of a twisted wire core, or tufts of
bristles secured by
staples in holes in a solid base, backbone, rod or core) generally comprise
several rows of
tines either Integrally molded, over-molded or assembled onto a core. The
known brushes
generally have tines arranged in a circular duplication along the longitudinal
axis of the brush
core. In other words, the tines are arranged in repeated radially extending
rings along the
length of the core. Tines in adjacent rings form rows of tines. The brushes
generally have 6
to 12 rows of tines. Each row has a plurality of tines. Generally, the
profile, shape or design
of each of the tines is the same throughout the brush head. Also each tine
generally has a
circular or semi-circular cross-section.
A drawback with known molded tine brush heads is, for example, the diminished
ability to comb and separate lashes after mascara or other product has been
applied. Also,
molded tine brushes may not grip, for example, an eyelash shaft to the same
degree as the
fibers of a twisted wire core brush head.
Accordingly, there is a need for a molded tine brush head with improved
ability to
comb and separate lashes after mascara or other product has been applied, and
there is a
need for a molded tine brush head with an improved ability to grip lashes.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A cosmetic applicator brush head has a plurality of molded tines, each with a
main
shaft and a first and a second branch extending from the shaft. The first
branch extends at a
point between the base of the shaft and the free end of the shaft. The second
branch
1
CA 02840078 2013-12-19
WO 2013/003442
PCT/US2012/044370
extends from the shaft at a point between the base of the shaft and the first
branch. The first
and second branches extend in a radial direction from the shaft at an angle of
5 to 900
relative to the free end and to a longitudinal axis of the shaft.
The cosmetic applicator brush head has a base adapted to be secured to a rod
with a
cap. A plurality of molded tines extends from the base. Each of the plurality
of molded tines
has a main shaft having a first end secured to the base, and an opposite free
end. The main
shaft defines a longitudinal axis and a length taken from the first end to the
free end. A first
branch extends from the main shaft at a point between the first end and the
free end. The
first branch extends in a radial direction from the main shaft at an angle of
5 to 900 relative to
the free end and to the longitudinal axis of the main shaft. A second branch
extends from the
main shaft at a point between the first end and up to and including a height
of the first branch
on the shaft. The second branch extends radially from the main shaft at an
angle of 5 to 900
relative to the free end and to the longitudinal axis. The brush head is
adapted to load,
deposit and doctor at least one of mascara, color, dye, tint, treatment and
other hair, lash and
brow products. The brush head is also adapted to comb and separate eyelashes,
eyebrow
hairs or hair shafts.
The invention also relates to a tine extending from a cosmetic applicator
brush head.
The tine has a main shaft with a first end adapted to be secured to the base,
and an opposite
free end. The main shaft defines a longitudinal axis and has a length taken
from the first end
to the free end. A first branch extends from the main shaft at a point between
the first end
and the free end. The first branch extends in a radial direction from the main
shaft at an
angle of 50 to 900 relative to the free end of the shaft and to the
longitudinal axis of the shaft.
A second branch extends from the main shaft at a point between the first end
and up to and
including a height of the first branch on the shaft. The second branch extends
radially from
the shaft at an angle of 50 to 900 relative to the free end and to the
longitudinal axis of the
shaft. The tine is adapted to load, deposit and doctor at least one of
mascara, color, dye, tint,
treatment and other hair, lash and brow products, and is adapted to comb and
separate
eyelashes, eyebrow hairs or hair shafts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevation and partial sectional view of a mascara package
incorporating
the brush head with molded tines of a first embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the brush head with molded tines of the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the brush head with molded tines of the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
2
CA 02840078 2013-12-19
WO 2013/003442
PCT/US2012/044370
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the brush head with
molded
tines of the present invention;
FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the branched applicator tines of the present
invention;
and
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the second embodiment of the brush head with
molded
tines shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, a mascara package incorporating a cosmetic applicator
brush
head with molded tines of a first embodiment of the present invention is
shown. The package
includes a vial 2 (shown in a sectional view) defining a storage reservoir 6
for product P. The
vial has a wiper 4 and a neck 8 defining an opening 10 for receiving an
applicator 12 and for
withdrawing product P. The applicator 12 includes a cap 16 adapted to be
received on the
neck 8 for closing the vial 2. Internal threads (not shown) inside the cap are
provided to mate
with external threads 14 on the neck 8 to secure the cap 16 on the vial. A rod
18 depends
from the cap and supports at an opposite end a cosmetic applicator brush head
20. An axis
24 is defined through the brush head 20. The applicator brush head 20 has a
base 26
adapted to be secured to the rod 18. The base 26 supports at least one molded
tine 22, and
preferably a plurality of tines 22, that extend radially from the base 26
relative to the axis 24.
For clarity, "tines" are generally understood to be prongs extending from an
implement. "Bristles" are generally understood to be stiff, hair-like
structures. "Teeth" are
generally understood to be projecting parts each resembling a tooth in shape
or function, as
on a comb, gear, or saw. As used herein, the terms "tines", "bristles" or
"teeth" in singular or
plural form are used interchangeably to designate any thin, stiff prong,
projection, projecting
part or structure extending from a supporting backbone, rod, core or base.
Preferably, the
tines, bristles and teeth are adapted to load, deposit and doctor mascara,
color, dye, tint,
treatment or other hair, lash or brow products, as well as combing and
separating individual
lashes, brow hairs and hair shafts.
As illustrated in FIG. 4A, each tine 22 has a main shaft 28 with a base end or
first end
34 secured to the base 26 of the brush head 20. The shaft 28 has an opposite
free end 36.
The shaft defines a longitudinal axis 38, and the shaft 28 has a length taken
from the first end
34 to the free end 36. A first branch 30 extends from the shaft 28 at a point
between the first
end 34 and the free end 36. The first branch 30 extends in a radial direction
from the main
shaft at an angle AA of 5 to 90 relative to the free end 36 and to the
longitudinal axis 38 of
the shaft 28. A second branch 32 extends from the shaft 28 at a point between
the first end
34 and up to and including a height of the first branch 30 on the shaft 28.
The second branch
3
CA 02840078 2013-12-19
WO 2013/003442
PCT/US2012/044370
32 extends radially from the shaft 28 at an angle BB of 5 to 90 relative to
the free end 36
and to the longitudinal axis 38. The brush head 20 is adapted to load, deposit
and doctor at
least one of mascara, color, dye, tint, treatment and other hair, lash and
brow products, and is
adapted to comb and separate eyelashes, eyebrow hairs or hair shafts.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, each row of tines 22 can be the same, configured
in a
circular repetition along the axis 24 of the brush head 20. The branches 30,
32 may be
straight (as shown) or curved (not illustrated). Each tine 22 and respective
branch or
branches 30, 32 may be provided with any cross-section suitable to the
intended purposes of
the brush head. The distribution of the branches 30, 32 along the shaft 28 may
be at the
same height relative to the first end, or may be located at different heights.
Adjacent tines 22
on a brush head 20 may have branches 30, 32 located at the same height, or
adjacent tines
22 on a brush head 20 may have branches 30, 32 located at different heights.
Adjacent tines
22 may be identical in shape, configuration and dimensions, or may be
different in at least
one of shape, configuration and dimensions. Similarly, branches 30, 32 on
adjacent tines 22
may be identical in shape, configuration and dimensions, or may be different
in at least one of
shape, configuration and dimensions. Each row of tines 22 may have identical
tines or may
have different tines and/or different branches. Rows of branched tines may be
alternated with
rows of tines having no branches. Alternatively, within each row, tines with
branches 30, 32
may be alternated with tines having no branches. The possible variations and
combinations
are infinite.
While the embodiments described herein are illustrated with each tine 22 of
the
plurality of tines having first and second branches, 30 and 32 respectively,
it will be
understood that the brush head may include some tines with only one branch
(the first branch
30) and/or some tines with no branches at all. It is the intention of the
inventors that as long
as at least some of the tines 22 of the brush include a first branch 30, or a
first branch 30 and
second branch 32, the invention is embodied in the brush. For example, each
row of tines
can include the branched tines of the invention alone, or alternatively, a mix
of the branched
tines of the invention and conventional tines (e.g., no branches).
The first branch 30 and second branch 32 may extend from the shaft 24 in the
same
direction. Alternatively, the first branch 30 may extend from the shaft 24 in
a first radial
direction and the second branch 32 may extend from the shaft 24 in a second
radial direction.
The second radial direction may be opposite the first radial direction as
illustrated in the
Figures.
The angle of the first branch 30 relative to the longitudinal axis 38 may be
the same as
the angle of the second branch 32, or the angles of the first branch 30 and
second branch 32
may be different angles. The angle AA, BB is 5 to 90 relative to the free
end 36 and to the
4
CA 02840078 2014-12-11
longitudinal axis 38 of the shaft 28. At least one of the first branch 30 or
the second branch
32 has a length that is at least 5% of the length of the shaft 28.
In a first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the plurality of
tines 22 are
arranged in equally spaced rows to radially extend in a configuration that is
substantially 360
degrees around the base 26. Alternatively, the rows of teeth may be offset
from each other.
In a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4-5, the
plurality of tines 22 are
arranged in two rows that extend substantially from one side of the base 26
only. It will be
understood that the illustrated embodiments are examples, and that the numbers
and
dimensions of tines 22 and the configuration of the tines 22 in rows may be
selected to be
suitable for a particular formula or application purpose.
While brush heads 20 with a plurality of tines 22 are described above as
embodying
the invention, the invention is also embodied in the individual tines 22 as
illustrated, for
example, in FIG. 4A. Each tine 22 has a main shaft 28 defining a longitudinal
axis 38. A first
end 34 of the shaft 28 is adapted to be secured to the base 26 of the brush
head 20. The
Shaft 28 has an opposite free end 36. A length of the shaft 28 is taken from
the first end 34 to
the free end 36. A first branch 30 extends from the shaft 28 at a point
between the first end
34 and the free end 36. A second branch 32 extends from the shaft 28 at a
point between the
first end 34 and up to and including a height of the first branch 30 on the
shaft 28. The first
branch 30 and a second branch 32 extend in a radial direction from the shaft
28 at an angle
AA, BB, respectively, of 5 to 900 relative to the free end 36 and the
longitudinal axis 38 of the
shaft 28. The tine 22 is adapted to load, deposit and doctor at least one of
mascara, color,
dye, tint, treatment and other hair, lash and brow products, and wherein the
tine is adapted to
comb and separate eyelashes, eyebrow hairs or hair shafts.
Whether in a plurality of tines or as an individual tine, the first branch 30
may extend
from the shaft 28 in a first radial direction and the second branch 32 may
extend from the
shaft 28 in the same radial direction or in a second different radial
direction. The second
radial direction may be opposite the first radial direction. The angle AA of
the first branch 30
may be the same as the angle BB of the second branch 32, or the angles of the
first branch
= 30 and second branch 32 may be different. Preferably, at least one of the
first branch 30 or
the second branch 32 has a length that is at least 5% of the length of the
shaft 28.
The brush head tines 22 and the brush head 20 may be made by injection molding
(or
any other suitable molding means) from any suitable plastic material.
Preferred materials are,
such as, for example, polymers including silicone elastomers, thermoplastic
elastomers (e.g.,
styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer ¨ SEBS), vinyl elastomers
(EVA),
thermoplastic polyester elastomers (e.g., Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours),
thermoplastic
polyurethane elastomers (pelethane from Dow Plastic), Nitrile or ethylene
propylene diene
monomer (EPDM). Hardness of the material is preferably from about 35 MPa (35
Shore D
Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours) to
5
CA 02840078 2014-12-11
about 1180 MPa (82 Shore D Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours). More preferably,
tensile
modulus ranges from about 95 MPa (45 Shore D Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours)
to about
570 MPa (72 Shore D Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours). Most preferably, tensile
modulus
ranges from about 200 MPa (55 Shore D Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours) to about
280
MPa (63 Shore D Hytrel from DuPont de Nemours).
The tines 22 may have any size, shape and spacing suitable for intended
purposes
and functions, e.g., application, arrangement and/or separation of hairs,
eyebrows or
eyelashes. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tines 22 have an average
height ranging from
about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm. More preferably, the tines 22 have an average
height from
about 0.5 mm to about 7 mm and, most preferably, from about 0.8 mm to about 5
mm. The
average cross-sectional diameter of the tines 22 preferably ranges from about
0.1 mm to
about 2 mm. More preferably, the cross-sectional diameter of the tines ranges
from about 0.2
mm to about 1.5 mm, and most preferably from about 0.3 mm to about 0.9 mm.
The brush head and tines of the invention may be used for the application of
any
cosmetic or treatment product to eyelashes, eyebrows or hair, including, for
example,
mascara, eyelashes formula (e.g., color, tint, dye, treatment, sealer,
builder, volumizer, etc.),
eyebrow formula, etc., in either liquid or gel form.
While the invention has been described and illustrated as embodied In
preferred forms
of construction, it will be understood that various modifications may be made
in the structure
and arrangement of the parts. The scope of the claims should not be limited by
the preferred
embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest
interpretation
consistent with the description as a whole.
6