Disc-type mascara brush with spacers between the discs
By inserting spacers between discs in disc-type mascara brushes, the axial distance between bristles is controlled, overcoming limitations of elastomeric brushes, enabling optimized performance and cost-effective manufacturing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LOREAL SA
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing elastomeric mascara brushes lack the ability to adjust the axial distance between bristles effectively, limiting performance optimization and requiring costly mold tooling changes for minor adjustments.
The use of spacers or washers inserted between stacked discs in disc-type mascara brushes allows for precise control of the axial distance between bristles, enabling various brush configurations without necessitating new mold tooling.
Enables efficient manufacturing of mascara brushes with optimized bristle spacing and deposition control, expanding performance variability and reducing production costs by allowing adjustments post-molding.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: MASCARA BRUSH TYPE A Discs with spacers between the discs SUMMARY
[0001] This disclosure relates to disc-type mascara brushes having thin plastic sheets and / or molded plastic used as spacers inserted between the bristle-containing discs. The spacers precisely control and adjust the axial distance between each bristle-containing disc and the bristles so that the mascara brush is configured for optimal mascara application and lash separation. In one embodiment, the spacer thickness dimension (i.e., in the axial direction) could range from approximately 0.03 mm to approximately 0.15 mm or more.
[0002] One embodiment relates to a method of manufacturing an applicator brush, comprising obtaining molded discs containing bristles; obtaining spacers; and assembling the molded discs containing bristles in an axially aligned manner while inserting one or more spacers between two adjacent discs of the discs containing bristles.
[0003] The method further includes placing one or more of the spacers between the two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0004] The method further comprises, before assembling the discs containing hairs, determining a distance to be achieved between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs; selecting two or more spacers, in which a total thickness of one or more spacers is approximately equal to the distance; and inserting the two or more spacers to create the distance between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0005] Two or more of the spacers have similar thicknesses.
[0006] Two or more of the spacers have different thicknesses.
[0007] The method further comprises, before assembling the discs containing hairs, determining a distance to be achieved between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs; selecting a spacer having a thickness approximately equal to the distance; and inserting the spacer to create the distance between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0008] The method further comprises assembling a first brush with discs containing bristles, wherein the first brush has a first spacing between the bristles; assembling a second brush with discs containing bristles, wherein the second brush has discs containing bristles of a similar thickness to the discs containing bristles from the first brush, in which the second brush has a second distance between the bristles different from the first distance.
[0009] The second brush includes spacers between adjacent discs containing bristles, and the first brush does not include spacers.
[0010] The first brush and the second brush include a different number or a different thickness of spacers between the discs containing bristles which lead to different distances between the bristles using discs containing bristles of similar thickness.
[0011] One embodiment relates to an applicator brush which includes discs containing bristles arranged axially to form a brush and at least one spacer is located between two adjacent discs containing bristles.
[0012] The discs containing hairs are molded from an elastomer.
[0013] The applicator brush further comprises a plurality of spacers, one spacer is located between each two adjacent discs containing bristles.
[0014] The applicator brush further comprises more than one spacer between any two adjacent discs containing bristles.
[0015] Each of the discs containing hairs and each of the spacers is an individual component.
[0016] The thickness of the spacers is between 0.05 mm and 0.2 mm.
[0017] The purpose of this summary is to present a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which are described in greater detail below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Description of the drawings
[0018] The foregoing aspects and many related advantages of the present invention will be more readily appreciated as they are better understood with reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] [Fig.1A] The [Fig.1A] is a schematic illustration of a spacerless disc-type applicator brush;
[0020] [Fig.1B] The [Fig.1B] is a schematic illustration of a disc-type applicator brush with spacers according to the disclosure;
[0021] [Fig.2A] [Fig.2A] is a schematic illustration of a side view of a disc containing hairs;
[0022] [Fig.2B] [Fig.2B] is a schematic illustration of a plan view of a disk containing hairs;
[0023] [Fig.3A] The [Fig.3A] is a schematic illustration of a side view of a spacer;
[0024] [Fig.3B] The [Fig.3B] is a schematic illustration of a plan view of the spacer of the [Fig.3A];
[0025] [Fig.4] Fig.4 is a schematic illustration of a side view of two spacers of different thicknesses. Detailed description
[0026] There are generally two manufacturing processes for mascara brushes: twisted wire brushes and elastomeric brushes made from a single piece of elastomer. A third manufacturing process exists for mascara brushes, which are disc-type brushes made from stackable discs with bristles on the side. With traditional elastomeric brushes, it is not possible to control the axial distance between each bristle after tooling; therefore, the axial distance is limited to what was initially developed through CAD and expertise, whereas deciding what distance between the bristles is optimal for a desired makeup effect is somewhat of a guessing game. Once the mold tooling is finalized, modifications to elastomeric brushes are limited, for example, to the hardness of the material and changing a few slides on the brush.The performance of conventional elastomeric brushes was limited, and the ability to optimize performance was inferior to that of twisted wire brushes. Twisted wire brushes allow control of the axial distance between rows of bristles by adding or subtracting more or fewer twists, enabling adjustments to the axial bristle spacing to within ±0.1 mm. However, this method is only applicable to twisted wire brushes, which have other limitations due to the lack of different bristle shapes available with molded brushes.
[0027] There is therefore a need to be able to adjust the axial distance between elastomeric brushes to achieve higher performance. Since traditional elastomeric brushes are one-piece, this is not feasible. This is where the third technology, using disc-type brushes that stack discs containing bristles manufactured by an injection molding process, can be employed. The present disclosure describes spacers or washers inserted between the discs containing bristles in an applicator brush to adjust the axial distance between the discs containing bristles, thereby affecting the axial distance between the bristles themselves.
[0028] With reference to [Fig. 1A], a disc-type applicator brush 100a, such as for applying mascara, is illustrated. In the mascara brush 100a, the The stem or central axis 110 of the applicator brush 100a and the individual discs 102 are formed from a polymer or plastic, such as by molding. The mascara brush 100a of the disclosure includes a plurality of discs 102 stacked coaxially or aligned. The discs 102 can be molded with various overall diameters. An overall diameter is the diameter measurement from the tips of the bristles. The discs 102 with the largest overall diameter are provided at the proximal end 112 of the applicator brush 100a, and the discs 102 with the smallest overall diameter are at the distal end 114 of the brush 100a. Generally, discs having the same overall diameter are used over most of the length of the applicator brush 100a, giving the brush a constant overall diameter over most of its length.Any number of discs of intermediate total diameter is inserted between the discs of the largest and smallest total diameter so as to create a progressive tapering from the end of the section of constant total diameter to the distal end 114.
[0029] In one embodiment, an applicator brush 100a uses discs of four different total diameters. It is economical to use fewer discs of different diameters, but the tapering is compromised, while using more discs of many different diameters is costly.
[0030] With reference to FIGURES 2A and 2B, regardless of the total diameter of an individual disk, a disk 102 includes a central core 104 having a first diameter. The central core 104 has a round cross-section. However, the cross-section may be oval, a polygon with at least 3 sides, or a combination of curves and flat sides.
[0031] The central core 104 includes a flat surface 116 on its proximal side, a flat surface 118 on its distal side, and a round lateral surface, such that the central core 104 comprises a right circular cylinder. The central axis of the disc 102 is normal to the flat surfaces 116 and 118. The axial distance between the proximal flat surface 116 and the distal flat surface 118 can be designated as the thickness of the disc 104.
[0032] The flat surfaces 116, 118 may be provided with one or more openings, cavities, and / or one or more bumps that help align the discs 102 with respect to each other when the discs 102 are assembled coaxially in a stacked manner. Adjacent discs 102 may be bonded together at the distal flat surface of one to the proximal flat surface of the adjacent disc 102. In addition, or alternatively, the discs 102 may have one or more openings allowing the discs to be inserted onto one or more rods (not shown) projecting from the end of the axis 110. While two openings are shown in [Fig. 2B], it should be understood that any number of openings may be included, including a single central opening. In some embodiments, The openings can be polygonal, organic, or oval. In some embodiments, the openings are a single central square opening.
[0033] The discs 102 include hairs 106. In one embodiment, the hairs 106 are cones, with a base of the cone fixed to the central core 104 of the disc 102 such that the axial center of the cone is normal to the rounded lateral surface of the central core 104.
[0034] A plurality of hairs 106 are arranged in a single row around the central nucleus 104 making a single turn around the nucleus 104. The hairs 106 can be spaced uniformly from each other.
[0035] In one embodiment, the length of each hair 106 is approximately one diameter of the central core 104 of the disc 102. In one embodiment, the total diameter of the disc 102 is approximately 7.8 mm.
[0036] In one embodiment, the thickest part of the hairs 106 is located at the base attached to the central core 104. The base can be about one third of the thickness of the disc 102. In one embodiment, the thickness of the base is about 0.46 mm.
[0037] In one embodiment, the hairs 106 are arranged around the central core 104 so that the central axis of each of the hairs 106 lies on the same plane, this plane being parallel to the flat surfaces 116, 118 and about halfway between the flat surfaces 116, 118.
[0038] In one embodiment, the hairs 106 are arranged on a plane that is not parallel to the flat surfaces 116, 118. The plane may be inclined with respect to the central axis of the disk 102.
[0039] Figure 1B shows a disc-type applicator brush 100b as disclosed. The brush 100b consists of the same bristle-containing discs, such as disc 102, as the mascara brush 100a. However, the brush 100b as disclosed includes one or more spacers 120 inserted between two adjacent discs 102 to create optimal bristle separation after the discs 102 have been molded and cannot be made thicker.
[0040] Spacers 120 can be inserted between any two adjacent discs 102, between any two adjacent discs 102, or between any two adjacent discs in an alternating pattern. Spacers 120 can be included only between two adjacent discs 102 with the largest diameter, or spacers 120 can be included only between adjacent discs forming the tapered brush section. The use of spacers 120 between two selected adjacent discs 102 allows for a wide variety of possible brush combinations to ensure the desired performance of each brush manufactured with the same discs 102 after the discs have been molded.
[0041] With reference to FIGURES 3A and 3B, a spacer 120 is illustrated. A spacer 120 may have the same cross-sectional shape (right circular cylinder) and the same diameter dimension as the discs 102. The spacer 120 includes a flat surface 122 on the proximal side and a flat surface 124 on the distal side. The flat surfaces 122 and 124 may be parallel to each other. The flat surfaces 216 and 218 may be provided with one or more openings, cavities, and / or one or more bumps that help to align the spacers 120 and the discs 102 with respect to each other when the discs 102 are assembled coaxially in a stacked manner. The spacers 120 may be glued or otherwise joined between the discs 102.
[0042] While four openings are shown in [Fig. 3B], it should be understood that any number of openings may be included, including a single central opening. In some embodiments, the openings may be polygonal, organic, or oval. In some embodiments, the openings are a single central square opening.
[0043] With reference to [Fig. 4], two or more spacers 120a and 120b can be stacked to create a total thickness when one spacer does not have the appropriate thickness. A method for manufacturing the brush 100b may include obtaining molded discs containing bristles 102, obtaining spacers 120, and assembling the molded discs containing bristles in an axially aligned manner while inserting one or more spacers between two adjacent discs containing bristles.
[0044] The spacers 120 can be a very thin layer of plastic made, for example, from a sheet of plastic that has been punched or cut to shape. Using one or more spacers 120 of different thicknesses, it is possible to create a range of different thicknesses in the axial direction to separate the discs 102. The different spacers of varying thicknesses can be tested to determine the optimal axial distance between the bristles 106. Once the appropriate axial distance between the bristles 106 is achieved with one or more of the spacers 120, brush production can continue by inserting the spacers 120 between adjacent discs containing bristles 102 to achieve the final brush configuration with the desired performance.
[0045] The use of spacers 120 to increase the axial distance between adjacent bristles of discs 102 has the advantage that it is not necessary to undertake new mold tooling to adjust the spacing, such new tooling being able to take several weeks. Mascara brushes with different spacing between discs containing bristles 102 can be efficiently manufactured by inserting only the modular spacers 120. The discs containing bristles 102 and the spacers 120 are both individual molded components. separately. Using the same discs and spacers allows for different brush configurations by varying the number of spacers 120 inserted between the discs 102.
[0046] By way of example, inserting a 0.05 mm spacer 120 (or two 0.025 mm spacers 120) between the discs 102 allows mascara deposition to be controlled to less than 5%, when this deposition cannot be fully achieved using only the scrapers on the mascara bottle. If it is necessary to increase the deposition by an additional 5%, then a 0.1 mm spacer 120 (or two 0.05 mm spacers 120) can be used.
[0047] A method may include, before assembling the discs containing hairs, determining a distance to be achieved between the hairs 106 of two discs containing hairs 102; selecting two or more spacers 120, in which a total thickness of the two or more spacers is approximately equal to the distance; and inserting the two or more spacers to create the distance between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0048] Another method may include, before assembling the discs containing hairs 102, determining a distance to be achieved between the hairs 106 of the two adjacent discs containing hairs; selecting a spacer 120 having a thickness approximately equal to the distance; and inserting the spacer to create the distance between the hairs of the two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0049] The method of using spacers 120 to adjust the spacing of the bristles 106 means that the spacing is not limited by the thickness of the discs 102 and the tooling that have been created. By using spacers 120, it becomes possible to optimize the mascara brush after the molding of the discs containing bristles 102.
[0050] This method increases the variety of possible brushes as well as the performance range by using the same discs containing bristles and by varying the number, thickness, or location of the spacers 120. For example, a method may include assembling a first brush 100a with discs containing bristles 102, in which the first brush has a first distance between the bristles 106. Then, assembling a second brush 100b with the same discs containing bristles 102, in which the second brush 100b has discs containing bristles having a thickness similar to the discs containing bristles of the first brush 100a, in which the second brush 100b has a second distance between the bristles different from the first distance.The second brush 100b may include spacers 120 between adjacent discs containing bristles, and the first brush 100a does not include spacers, or the first brush 100a and the second brush 100b include a different number or a different thickness of spacers 120 between the discs containing bristles which lead to different distances. differences between the hairs using discs containing hairs of similar thickness.
[0051] The spacers 120 can be made in any thickness such as from 0.05 mm to about 0.2 mm which allows adjustment of the deposition and separation by controlling the axial distance between the hairs of any two, some or all of the adjacent disks containing hairs 102.
[0052] In addition, when inserting spacers between adjacent discs containing hairs 102, two or more of the spacers 120 may have similar thicknesses, or two or more of the spacers 120 may have different thicknesses.
[0053] In addition, when inserting spacers between adjacent discs containing hairs 102, two or more of the spacers 120 may have similar thicknesses, or two or more of the spacers 120 may have different thicknesses.
[0054] One embodiment relates to an applicator brush 100b which includes discs containing bristles 102 arranged axially to form a brush and at least one spacer 120 is located between two adjacent discs containing bristles.
[0055] The discs containing hairs 102 are molded from an elastomer.
[0056] The applicator brush 100b further comprises a plurality of spacers 120, a The spacer is located between each two adjacent discs containing hairs.
[0057] The applicator brush 100b further includes more than one spacer 120 between any two adjacent discs containing bristles 102.
[0058] Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
Demands
1. Applicator brush, comprising: discs containing bristles arranged axially to form a brush; and at least one spacer is located between two adjacent discs containing bristles.
2. Applicator brush according to claim 1, wherein the discs containing bristles are molded from an elastomer.
3. Applicator brush according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spacers, one spacer is located between each two adjacent discs containing bristles.
4. Applicator brush according to claim 1, further comprising more than one spacer between any two adjacent discs containing bristles.
5. Applicator brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the discs containing bristles and each of the spacers is an individual component.
6. Applicator brush according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the spacers is from 0.05 millimeter to 0.2 millimeter.
7. Method of manufacturing the applicator brush according to claims 1 to 5, comprising: the assembly of molded discs containing bristles in an axially aligned manner, during the insertion of one or more spacers between two adjacent discs containing bristles.