JPH08740A - Applicator unit for substances such as fluids - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an applicator unit, which has simple structure, low manufacturing cost and soft maneuverability. CONSTITUTION: This applicator unit is equipped with an axis of symmetry A; a movable part 110 equipped with an applicator member for substance such as fluid, etc.; a hollow fixation part 107; a connecting means to connect the movable part and the fixation part. And, the movable part can shift along the said axis A, and the connecting means comprises at least one connecting piece 111 placed on an approximately rectangular plane P against the said axis A. The movable part is structured to support the applicator member by the first end part of the connecting piece is being connected to the movable part and the second end part of the connecting piece is being connected to the fixation part respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an applicator unit for applying a liquid or solid or pasty substance to a surface to be treated.

Materials which can be applied using such units include, for example, cosmetics such as deodorants, blushers, insect repellents or dermatological drugs. Furthermore, this applicator unit is especially for body deodorants.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of cosmetics, an applicator for a deodorant has already been proposed, and an applicator hemispherical part (dome part) formed of a solid porous material has been proposed. A reservoir containing a liquid composition is used in a reservoir having a fixed dispensing head. An applicator of this kind is described, for example, in French Patent Publication No. 2647034. However, this device has the following drawbacks.

[0004] It is that during application, the user feels a certain tension on the skin.

In addition, a reliable closure of the reservoir when the substance is not used necessitates a relatively complex dispensing head, which is costly.

Furthermore, in order to use a liquid substance, a pre-operation of pouring the liquid into the porous hemispherical portion which becomes the applicator member is required.

Generally, the applicator is formed from several types of parts, which results in a complicated assembly process in manufacturing and is necessarily expensive.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a novel applicator unit (dispensing unit) which avoids the above mentioned disadvantages by using a single block dispensing system. The connecting member is connected to the fixed portion by a flexible connecting piece (tongue piece), and the entire unit is molded as one component. In particular, this unit can be manufactured inexpensively. Furthermore, the user highly appreciates the easy operability and flexible operability of this unit, especially the smooth applicability. In fact, the applicator unit according to the invention allows a substance such as a liquid deodorant or depilatory to be applied gently, especially on sensitive areas of the skin, for example the axilla.

Therefore, in the first aspect of the present invention, the axis of symmetry; the movable part provided with the applicator member for the substance; the hollow fixed part; the flexible part connecting the movable part and the fixed part. Connection means, the movable part is movable along the axis, the connection means is arranged in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axis,
It is composed of at least one connecting piece, the first end of the connecting piece is joined to the movable part, and the second end of the connecting piece is joined to the fixed part. And an applicator unit for a substance such as a fluid, the movable part being configured to support the applicator member.

Applicator unit is to be understood as meaning a package containing a substance, which is applied directly to the surface to be treated, for example the skin.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the applicator unit comprises a plurality of connecting pieces arranged regularly between the two members, that is, the movable portion and the fixed portion.
The number of connecting pieces is preferably between 2 and 12.

By using a plurality of connecting pieces, it is possible to orient the movable part with respect to the fixed part.

Preferably, the first end of the first connecting piece is
It is on the opposite side of the second end of the second connecting piece. In other words, the connecting pieces are arranged in a staggered manner in one plane.

The use of these connecting pieces makes the operation of the applicator unit considerably more flexible or gentle at the start of use of the applicator unit.

The substance to be applied may be a volatile substance, a liquid, a paste or a solid. This substance may be, for example, an aromatic body lotion, a liquid deodorant, a liquid depilatory composition, or a paste or a solid, friable makeup product.

In a modification, the first end of the first connecting piece is located close to the first end of the second connecting piece.

In this way, a subassembly consisting of a single block composed of a movable part, a fixed part and a connecting piece is obtained, the movable part being movable in the axial direction with respect to the fixed part, and the movements are compared. It is smooth over a long moving distance, and the moving distance depends on the length of the connecting piece.

Generally, the moving distance is about 1/3 of the length of the connecting piece. Therefore, this distance of travel can be adjusted if special use is considered.

This subassembly comprises a thermoplastic material,
It can be obtained by molding or injection molding. Preferably, the thermoplastic material is polypropylene or polyethylene. However, this subassembly may instead be made of metal or soft alloys.

In another modification of the present invention, the connecting piece is
It may have at least one portion protruding from the surface on which the connecting piece is present. This connecting piece may have a bent shape at one location or may have a sinusoidal shape.

During application, the above-described shape allows for considerable extension of the connecting piece, maximizing the distance traveled by the moving part.

In the first embodiment, the applicator unit further comprises a container for containing the substance to be applied, and the fixing portion is provided on this container. In this case, the container is a container pressurized by the propellant gas,
A dispensing valve is provided to bring the container into communication with the applicator member when the movable part axially moves towards the container.

In this embodiment, the applicator member is constituted by a feeder tube connected to the porous coating hemispherical portion connected to the movable portion, and the feeder tube serves as a support for the hemispherical portion. Has become. When a hemispherical portion is applied to the surface to be treated, the pressure exerted on the hemispherical portion actuates the dispensing valve to dispense and dispense the substance via the hemispherical portion. Due to this structure, French Patent Publication No. 264
The structure of the deodorant described in No. 7034 can be used more easily.

In this embodiment, if the substance is a liquid substance contained under pressure, the substance is preferably
A composition having a cosmetic and / or dermatological action.

In the second embodiment, the movable part serves as a support for a paste-like or solid fragile substance, and the fixed part serves as a gripping part. Examples of such a fragile substance include a solid block of compacted powder for makeup and a solid makeup foundation.

The makeup product can thus be applied very softly to the facial skin.

Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing agent for a body, which is constituted by a unit for applying the deodorizing agent as described above, particularly as in the first embodiment.

[0028]

EXAMPLES To facilitate an understanding of the present invention, three embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are described below, but these are not intended to limit the present invention, but are merely illustrative.

FIG. 1 shows an application unit (applicator unit) which is axisymmetric with respect to the axis A of the first embodiment of the body deodorant.

In FIG. 1, a cylindrical can which serves as a container 101 for a liquid deodorant product is, for example, Porex (registered trademark).
Porous applicator hemispherical portion 10 formed by
9 and the applicator hemispherical portion 109 is
The annular fastening skirt member 112 fixes the convex disk-shaped support member 108. The support 108 is connected to the cylindrical skirt member 110a at the peripheral edge thereof located on the opposite side of the skirt member 112. The assembly including the support body 108, the annular skirt member 112, and the cylindrical skirt member 110a constitutes a central portion (movable portion) that can move in the direction of the axis A.

The top of the container 101 has an ogive-shaped curved portion 102 and a circumferential groove 106 formed in a portion between the cylindrical portion and the curved portion 102. In the circumferential groove 106,
An engagement beat 107a extending in the circumferential direction, which is formed at an end of the cylindrical ring (fixed portion) 107 in the container direction, is fitted. The ring 107 concentrically surrounds a part of the skirt member 110a. One set of flexible connecting pieces 111
Are arranged in a free space formed between the ring 107 and the skirt member 110a.

The portion of the cylindrical skirt member 110a facing the container is connected to the first end 111a of the connecting piece 111 (see FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b)). The second end 111 b of the connecting piece 111 is connected to the ring 107. The connecting piece 111 is orthogonal to the axis A and is II-I.
It is arranged on the plane P along the line I. Ring 10
7, the connecting piece 111, the skirt member 110a, and the support 108 constitute a subassembly composed of a single block formed by molding or injection molding polypropylene.
The support 108 has a central conduit 103 in which the stem portion 105 of the distributor valve 104 is provided.
Are fitted in a liquid-tight manner, and the valve 104 is arranged on the top 102 of the container 101. On the opposite side of the container 101, a conduit 113 is extended to a feeder pipe 114 so as to connect the stem portion 105 to the porous hemispherical portion 109.

Liquid composition, eg about 0.003 Pa.s
The body deodorant having the viscosity of is stored in the container 101. This liquid is pressurized by normal propellant gas.

The operation of this device is as follows. The user applies the porous hemispheres 109 directly to the surface to be treated by applying slight pressure. The connecting piece 111 is flexibly deformed, the stem portion 105 of the valve 104 is pushed in,
The liquid deodorant product permeates the hemispherical portion 109 via the stem portion 105 and the feeder tube 104. In this way, the user can easily treat very sensitive parts of the body, such as the axilla or parts that are difficult to contact.

After use, the distribution hemispherical portion 109 is protected by a protective cap (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (in the plane P) taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, in which the structure of the connecting piece 111 for connecting the movable portion 110 and the fixed portion 107 is changed.
A modification is shown. The connecting piece 111 includes the movable portion 11
One end 111a of the first connecting piece connected to 0
It can be seen that is directed in the same direction so as to be on the opposite side of the end 111b of the continuous connecting piece connected to the peripheral edge 107 (ring).

FIG. 2B shows a modification of the arrangement of the connecting pieces 111 located on the same plane P. Two end portions 111a, 111a of two continuous connecting pieces are arranged in parallel. The other ends 111b, 111b are arranged adjacent to each other and are attached to the peripheral edge (ring) 107.

The connecting pieces of FIGS. 2a and 2b make the device very soft and flexible.

The operability of the skirt member 110 is flexible.
It can be adjusted by adjusting the length and thickness of the connecting piece.

In the case of a cylindrical coating unit, the connecting piece 11
1 can be a circular arc with an angle in the range of 20 ° to 180 °. The number of connecting pieces is preferably selected from between 2 and 12.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the fixing portion 207 has a substantially rectangular cross section with rounded corners, and is a solid makeup applied directly to the skin. It serves as a grip for a lump of product S (for example, makeup foundation). Product S has a bottom 208
It is housed in a central cup-shaped portion 210 having a. The cup-shaped portion and the fixed portion are concentric. The base portion of the cup-shaped portion is connected to the end portion 211a of the connecting piece 211, and the connecting pieces 211 ... Also have their end portions 211b connected to the peripheral edge portion 207.

By gripping the peripheral portion 207 of this unit, the user applies the product S to the skin, but the flexibility of the connecting piece 211 allows the user to make makeup accurately and entirely softly.

FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are modified examples of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). To further increase the softness of application, the central portion 310 and the peripheral portion 30
The connecting piece 311 connecting 7 is provided with the corrugated portion Z located outside the plane P (see FIG. 5). This portion Z is preferably located approximately in the middle of the ends 311a, 311b.

These corrugated connecting pieces 311 extend in the opposite direction of the applied force, allowing a fairly soft application (indicated by arrow F in FIG. 4 (b)). Of course, they can also be used in the embodiment represented in FIG.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial axial cross-sectional view of a liquid applicator unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a view on a plane P corresponding to a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a modified example similar to that shown in FIG.

FIG. 3A is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention containing a solid or pasty substance, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line IIIb-IIIb of FIG.

4A is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, showing an unused state of the apparatus,
3B is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the embodiment of FIG. 3A, showing an applied state.

5 is an enlarged view of the connecting piece in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 ... Container, 102 ... Curved part, 103 ... Central conduit, 1
04 ... Valve, 105 ... Stem part, 106 ... Circumferential groove, 10
7, 207, 307 ... Ring, peripheral portion (fixed portion), 10
8 ... Support, 109 ... Hemispherical part, 110, 210, 31
0 ... Movable part, 111, 211, 311 ... Connecting piece, 11
3 ... conduit, 114 ... feeder tube

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A movable part (110, 210, 31) having an axis of symmetry (A); an applicator member for a substance such as a fluid.
0) and; hollow fixing parts (107, 207, 307) and;
A flexible connecting means for connecting the movable part and the fixed part, wherein the movable part is movable along the axis (A), and the connecting means is a plane (P) substantially orthogonal to the axis (A). ), At least one connecting piece (111, 211, 311), the first end (111a, 211) of the connecting piece.
a, 311a) is joined to the movable part, the second end (111b, 211b, 311b) of the connecting piece is joined to the fixed part, and the substance is applied via the movable part. An applicator unit for a substance such as a fluid, wherein the movable part is configured to support the applicator member. 2. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the applicator member is a porous hemispherical part joined to the movable part and is a hemispherical part capable of impregnating a liquid material. . 3. A pressure vessel (10) containing the substance.
1), the container further comprises a distribution valve (104) for communicating the container with the applicator member (D), and the fixing portion (107).
Is a movable part (11) provided in the container in the direction of the container.
The unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication is generated by the movement of (0) in the axial direction. 4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the substance contained in the container (101) is a liquid composition having a cosmetic and / or dermatological action. Unit. 5. A solid substance (S) whose movable part is easily broken.
The unit according to claim 1, which supports the unit. 6. A movable part (110, 210, 310), a fixed part (107, 207, 307) and a connecting piece (11).
Unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that (1, 211, 311) form a subassembly consisting of a single block. 7. A plurality of connecting pieces (111, 211, 311) regularly arranged between a movable part (110, 210, 310) and a fixed part (107, 207, 307). The unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is characterized in that. 8. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of connecting pieces (111, 211, 311) is between 2 and 12. 9. One connecting piece (111, 211, 311)
The first end portion (111a, 211a, 311a) of the second connecting piece is located on the opposite side of the second end portion (111b, 211b, 311b) of the other connecting piece from each other. Unit described in paragraph. 10. A first end (1) of one connecting piece (111).
Units according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that 11a, 211a, 311a) are located close to the first ends of the other connecting pieces. 11. The subassembly is formed by molding a thermoplastic material.
Unit described in. 12. The unit according to claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic material is polypropylene. 13. Connecting pieces (111, 211, 311)
Having at least one portion (Z) protruding from the plane (P).
The unit according to any one of 2 above. 14. A deodorant applicator for a body, comprising the distribution unit according to any one of claims 1 to 13.