Cosmetic applicator

Abstract

To provide a cosmetic applicator capable of stably applying application liquid without jamming of an application body including a brush by a particle contained in the application liquid.SOLUTION: A tip shaft 3 is formed of a transparent material, a brush 6 is attached in the inside of the tip shaft, and a distal end part of the brush is arranged so as to project from the distal shaft via a front end opening 3b of the distal shaft 3. According to deflection deformation of the brush based on application operation of application liquid by the brush, a gap that enables the brush inside the distal shaft to deflection deform is formed between the front end opening of the distal shaft and the brush.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cosmetic applicator for, for example, eyeliner, using a brush tip as an applicator for applying cosmetics. [Background technology]

[0002] In cosmetic applicators such as eyeliners that use a brush tip as the cosmetic applicator, the brush tip is generally positioned to protrude from the front end of the front barrel, and is equipped with a comb-tooth-shaped collector that temporarily stores the application liquid of the cosmetic or the like to be supplied to the brush tip. A coating liquid tank is attached to the rear of the front barrel, making it possible to supply the application liquid in the coating liquid tank to the collector and the brush tip. This configuration is disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.

[0003] Recently, there has been a growing need for eyeliners that contain application liquids containing large particle size solids such as glitter (metal powder) in order to impart gloss to cosmetics. However, in the conventional cosmetic applicators disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the large particle size solids can clog the flow passages, making it difficult to smoothly apply the application liquid.

[0004] Therefore, in order to address the above-mentioned problems, Patent Document 3 discloses that a cylindrical relay core with multiple circumferential grooves along the axial direction is used between the application liquid tank and the brush tip serving as the application body. The circumferential grooves formed along the axial direction of this relay core are characterized in that the depths of the grooves, which allow the coating liquid to pass and are arranged adjacently around the circumferential direction of the relay core, are formed so as to alternate, and it is stated that a relay core with these circumferential grooves can supply coating liquid from the coating liquid tank to the brush tip without clogging with large-sized solid particles in the coating liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-192242 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-192673 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-112692 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cosmetic applicator disclosed in Patent Document 3 was developed with an eye on the problem of particles in the liquid cosmetic clogging the relay core that supplies the liquid from the liquid tank to the tip. However, the inventors of the present application have also verified that particles in the liquid clogging also occur in the tip, which is formed by bundling thin fibers that function as an applicator body, and have identified a solution to this problem as a problem to be solved.

[0007] Therefore, this invention was made with an eye on the problem of particles in the coating liquid clogging the tip of a brush used to apply a liquid cosmetic product, and its main object is to provide a cosmetic applicator that can stably apply the coating liquid without clogging the applicator body, which is made up of the tip, with the particles, even if the coating liquid contains large particles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The cosmetic applicator of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a cosmetic applicator that has an applicator body in the form of a tip made of bundled fibers on the tip side of a barrel composed of a front barrel and a rear barrel, and an application liquid container containing an application liquid as a liquid cosmetic is arranged on the rear barrel side of the barrel so that the application liquid in the application liquid container can be supplied to the tip, and is characterized in that the front barrel is made of a transparent material, and the tip is attached within the front barrel so that the tip protrudes from the front barrel through the front end opening of the front barrel, and a gap is formed between the front end opening of the front barrel and the tip, which allows the tip within the front barrel to also flex and deform as the tip flexes and deforms due to the application action of the tip to apply the application liquid. According to this invention, by increasing the deflection deformation of the brush tip when pressed against the application surface during application compared to conventional methods, particularly when using a liquid containing large particles exceeding 10 μm in size as the application liquid, the large particles within the brush tip are displaced relative to the fibers of the brush tip as the brush tip deflects, preventing the particles from adhering to the brush tip or from coalescing together. Note that the term "transparent tip material" as used here means that the interior, such as translucency, can be seen, but does not mean 100% transmittance.

[0009] It is also preferable that the cosmetic applicator satisfy the following conditions. The inner diameter of the front end opening of the tip barrel is D1, the outer diameter of the tip of the brush located at the front end opening of the tip barrel is D2, and (D1-D2) / D2=D3. (1) 1 mm or less D2 <D1≦3mm (2) 0.25≦D3

[0010] Furthermore (3) The ratio of the cross-sectional area Sb of the hollow portion formed in the tip to the cross-sectional area Sa of the tip at the outer diameter D2 portion of the tip located at the front end opening of the tip barrel is 40%. <Sr<95% It is preferable to set the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the cosmetic applicator of this invention, a gap is formed between the front end opening of the front barrel and the tip, which allows bending deformation of the tip due to the action of applying the applicator liquid with the tip to be transmitted to the tip inside the tip barrel as well. Therefore, bending of the tip due to the action of applying the applicator liquid with the tip is transmitted to the tip inside the tip barrel via the gap, causing bending deformation. As a result, the fibers forming the tip inside the tip barrel do not maintain a tight contact state, and as with the front half of the tip, misalignment occurs between the fibers as the tip bends, thus providing a cosmetic applicator that allows for stable application without clogging the tip with particles in the application liquid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show the overall structure of a cosmetic applicator according to the present invention, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B show the cosmetic applicator with the cap removed, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are enlarged views of the front end portion of the cosmetic applicator with the cap removed, where (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axis, and (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line bb shown in (A). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the entire cosmetic applicator. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a development view showing the main parts of the cosmetic applicator in an assembled state. [Figure 6] The figure shows the individual components of the front barrel, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a central cross-sectional view along the axial direction. [Figure 7A] 1A and 1B show the individual components of a collector, with FIG. 1A being a perspective view with the front end facing forward, and FIG. 1B being a perspective view with the rear end facing forward. [Figure 7B] The individual components of the collector are shown, with (A) being a front view seen from the slit side, (B) being a top view rotated 90 degrees from (A), (C) being a cross-sectional view seen in the direction of the arrow from line aa in (A), (D) being a left side view, and (E) being a right side view. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are enlarged views of the exterior of the tip of the applicator, in which (A) shows the tip before application, and (B) shows the tip in application mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A cosmetic applicator according to the present invention will be described based on the embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the cosmetic applicator, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the cosmetic applicator with the cap removed, and FIG. 4 shows the cosmetic applicator in an exploded view.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, this cosmetic applicator has a cylindrical shape and a closed rear end. Caps 2, also cylindrical and closed at the front and rear ends, are joined in a straight line to give it an elongated cylindrical appearance. The rear axle 1 has a rear axle inner layer 1a attached to the inside, forming a double structure, with the outer layer being made of, for example, a thin aluminum alloy or a hard resin material, and the inner rear axle inner layer 1a being preferably molded from a resin material.

[0015] Front barrel 3 is connected to the front end opening of rear barrel inner layer 1a, and rear barrel 1 and front barrel 3 together form barrel tube 4, and cap 2 is removably attached to front barrel 3, sandwiching flange 3a formed on front barrel 3 therebetween (see Figure 1(A)). As with the rear barrel 1, the cap 2 also has a double structure with a cap inner layer 2a attached to the inside, and the outer layer is made of, for example, a thin aluminum alloy or a hard resin material, while the inner cap inner layer 2a is preferably molded from a resin material.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 4, a cup-shaped inner cap 2b is arranged axially movable within the cap inner layer 2a of the cap 2 to cover and increase the airtightness of the brush tip 6 serving as the applicator, which will be described later. A coil spring 2c is attached between the inner cap 2b and the cap inner layer 2a, and is configured to apply a biasing force to the inner cap 2b toward the brush tip 6 (see Fig. 1(B)).

[0017] The front barrel 3 that constitutes the front half of the barrel tube 4 has the main components that make up the cosmetic applicator attached thereto. That is, tip 6 made of bundled fibers is positioned to protrude from the front end of front barrel 1, and inside front barrel 3 there is a collector (temporary storage body) 8 equipped with a number of fins that temporarily store the application liquid as liquid cosmetic to be supplied to tip 6, an application liquid container 12 positioned behind collector 8 and removably attached to the rear end of the front barrel, and an application liquid supply pipe 11 that supplies the application liquid in application liquid container 12 towards tip 6. Below, the configuration of front barrel 3 and each of the above-mentioned components attached to front barrel 3 will be explained individually.

[0018] [Front shaft 3] As shown in the single-item configuration in Figure 6, the front barrel 3 has a flange 3a at the center in the longitudinal direction that protrudes outward from the circumference. This flange 3a functions as a positioning device when the cap 2 is fitted, and the front half of the front barrel 3 from this flange 3a is tapered, with a front-end opening 3b at the tip through which the brush tip 6 is led out. In addition, the tapered portion of the tip barrel 3 has a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) air replacement holes 3c that penetrate the circumferential surface from inside to outside and are formed at equal intervals around the circumference, and a ring-shaped locking portion 3d is formed slightly towards the tip on the inside of the air replacement holes 3c for attaching the base end of the brush tip 6, which functions as an applicator.

[0019] Just before the flange 3a, where the tapered portion reaches its maximum diameter, an uneven portion 3e with different diameters at the front and rear is formed, and the opening of the cap 2 is fitted into this uneven portion 3e, and the cap 2 is attached to the barrel tube 4. As a result, the cap 2 is joined in a straight line to the rear barrel 1, as shown in Figure 1(A), and the appearance is made into a long, thin cylinder. A male thread 3f is provided immediately behind flange 3a of front barrel 3, and this male thread 3f screws the rear half of front barrel 3 into rear barrel inner layer 1a of rear barrel 1, joining front barrel 3 and rear barrel 1 together, thereby forming barrel tube 4.

[0020] The majority of the space extending from immediately behind air replacement hole 3c inside front barrel 3 toward the rear inside front barrel 3 constitutes accommodation space 3g for collector 8. Furthermore, a circular protrusion 3h is formed slightly behind the rear end opening of front barrel 3, protruding along the inner circumference. When application liquid container 12 is attached from the rear end side of front barrel 3, a circular locking protrusion 12a (see Figure 4) formed on the peripheral surface of application liquid container 12 overcomes this circular protrusion 3h, allowing application liquid container 12 to be attached to the rear end of front barrel 3. When the collector 8 and the coating liquid container 12 are mounted inside the front barrel 3, an appropriate clearance is provided between the front end of the coating liquid container 12 and the collector 8 (see Figures 1 to 3). It is preferable that the front barrel 3 be made of a transparent resin material, such as polycarbonate, as will be explained later.

[0021] [Brush tip (applicator) 6] A tapered brush tip 6 serving as an applicator protrudes from the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3 (see Figure 3), and it is desirable that the tip angle of the brush tip 6 be formed at approximately the same angle as the tip angle of the tapered tip barrel 3. 3(A), a hollow portion 6a is formed in the rear half of the brush tip 6, and a tip portion 11b of a coating liquid supply pipe 11 having a linear axial hole 11a is inserted into the hollow portion 6a. This allows the coating liquid in the coating liquid container 12 sent via the coating liquid supply pipe 11 to be sufficiently supplied to the brush tip 6.

[0022] Tip 6 is made from a bundle of fibers such as natural fibers or resin fibers, and the base end at the rear end expands in diameter to form a disk-shaped flange 6b. To attach tip 6 to front barrel 3, the tip of tip 6 is inserted through the rear opening of front barrel 3, fed straight into front barrel 3, and then pulled out from the front opening 3b of front barrel 3. In this state, collector 8 is accommodated in collector accommodation space 3g of front barrel 3 from the rear of front barrel 3, whereby bowl-shaped portion 8a of collector 8, which will be described later, comes into contact with the flange portion 6b formed at the base end of brush tip 6 from its back side. As a result, disc-shaped flange portion 6b is supported within front barrel 3 in a state where it is sandwiched between locking portion 3d within front barrel 3 and bowl-shaped portion 8a of collector 8.

[0023] At this time, as shown in Figure 3(A), the brush tip 6 is set so that there is a sufficient gap between it and the front end opening 3b of the front barrel 3, that is, when the inner diameter of the front end opening 3b of the front barrel 3 is D1 and the outer diameter of the brush tip 6 located at the front end opening 3b is D2, D1 > D2. The effects of this configuration will be explained later.

[0024] [Collector 8] Collector 8 is covered and held by barrel tube 4, which is made up of front barrel 3 and rear barrel 1. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, collector 8 has a bowl-shaped portion 8a formed at the front end in the axial direction, and at the rear end, application liquid holding portion 9 is formed with a larger diameter than temporary storage portion 8b. In addition, collector 8 has temporary storage portions 8b formed in multiple locations in the center between bowl-shaped portion 8a and application liquid holding portion 9 in the axial direction, with multiple comb-like fins (leaves) arranged with gaps between them.

[0025] Support walls 8h that are thicker than the fins of temporary storage portions 8b are formed between each of the multiple temporary storage portions 8b arranged in the axial direction on collector 8. Temporary storage portions 8b are formed with a larger diameter than bowl-shaped portion 8a, and application liquid holding portion 9 is formed with a larger diameter than temporary storage portions 8b and support walls 8h. Bowl-shaped portion 8a fits into the tapered front portion of front barrel 3, and application liquid holding portion 9 fits into the rear portion of front barrel 3, so that collector 8 is fixed within the aforementioned collector housing space 3g inside front barrel 3.

[0026] A coating liquid supply pipe 11 is provided inside the collector 8. In this embodiment, a cylindrical pipe-shaped portion 8e having a wall without holes is formed near the axial center of the collector 8, and a hollow portion 8d is provided inside the pipe-shaped portion 8e and passes through along the axial center.

[0027] On the outer periphery of the wall of the pipe-shaped section 8e containing this hollow section 8d, a plurality of thin plate-shaped fins (sheet bodies) extending in the outer diameter direction are arranged in a comb-like pattern, and a temporary storage section 8b is formed between the fins, which serves to temporarily store the coating liquid.

[0028] The collector 8 has a coating liquid supply pipe 11, which circulates the coating liquid near the axial center of the interior thereof, attached to a hollow portion 8d inside a pipe-shaped portion 8e. The outer periphery of the pipe-shaped portion 8e has a plurality of comb-like fins (temporary storage portion 8b), and the pipe-shaped portion 8e has a non-porous wall with no holes penetrating the wall from the inner periphery to the outer periphery.

[0029] The tip 11b of the coating liquid supply pipe 11 is fitted into the hollow portion 6a of the brush tip 6 serving as the coating body. The coating liquid in the coating liquid container 12 is supplied via the coating liquid supply pipe 11 inserted into the pipe-shaped portion 8e in the collector 8.

[0030] Collector 8 has slits 8g, which are vertical grooves for guiding the coating liquid into the gaps between the fins, exposed at the rear end (exposable on the side of coating liquid container 12) from temporary storage section 8b to coating liquid holding section 9. Additionally, the spaces between each set of fins in temporary storage section 8b are appropriately separated by thick support walls 8h that abut against the inner surface of front barrel 3. Specifically, temporary storage section 8b can have a total of 40 to 60 fins, and the spacing between the fins can be 0.15 to 0.3 mm. The collector 8 and the coating liquid supply pipe 11 are preferably molded from a resin material together with the coating liquid holding portion 9, which will be described later.

[0031] [Coating liquid holding unit 9] Although the coating liquid supply pipe 11 does not protrude from the coating liquid holding section 9 provided at the rear of the collector 8 into the coating liquid container 12, the space 9k within the coating liquid holding section 9 faces the open tip of the coating liquid container 12, and the coating liquid is sufficiently distributed throughout the coating liquid holding section 9 and the coating liquid container 11.

[0032] The outer peripheral surface (projection 9b) of coating liquid holding portion 9 provided at the rear of collector 8 and the inner wall surface of front barrel 3 are in liquid-tight contact. More specifically, a seal portion (protrusion 9b) for sealing with front barrel 3 (barrel tube 4) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front end of application liquid holding portion 9, and a fitting portion 9c for preventing front barrel 3 (barrel tube 4) from slipping out is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end. Application liquid holding portion 9 at the rear end of collector 8 fits into the inner surface of front barrel 3, fixing collector 8 to front barrel 3.

[0033] 7A and 7B, the coating liquid holding portion 9 is formed continuously with the temporary storage portion 8b and the rear end of the pipe-shaped portion 8e. That is, the coating liquid holding portion 9 has a wall-like base portion 9a that expands in diameter into a disk shape formed at the rear end of the pipe-shaped portion 8e, and a concentric and approximately cylindrical outer wall portion 9g and inner wall portion 9e that extend rearward from the base portion 9a. The outer wall portion 9g and the inner wall portion 9e are spaced apart by a space 9k, forming a roughly cup-like shape. The space 9k has a function of holding a coating liquid, and the amount of coating liquid that can be held is preferably 20 to 40 mg.

[0034] The outer wall portion 9g and the inner wall portion 9e are respectively formed with an opening groove 9g1 and an opening groove 9e1, which widen the space 9k. The opening groove 9g1 of the outer wall portion 9g is formed in one place along the axial direction, on the same side as and continuous with the slit 8g. Protrusion 9b, which is formed in the shape of an annular rib and protrudes outward near the outer periphery of base 9a, serves as a seal that maintains liquid-tightness when fitted onto the inner periphery of front barrel 3 (barrel tube 4) on the outer peripheral surface of the front end of outer wall 9g of application liquid holding portion 9. Fitting portion 9c, which prevents slipping out of front barrel 3, is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end of outer wall 9g. The inner wall portion 9e has two open grooves 9e1 formed on the same side and opposite side of the slit 8g. The inner diameter of the inner wall portion 9e is set to a diameter that allows the rear end of the coating liquid supply pipe 11 to be tightly fitted thereto. For example, the inner diameter can be set to the same as the inner diameter of the hollow portion 8d in the pipe-shaped portion 8e.

[0035] The cosmetic applicator according to the embodiment is a collector-type applicator. In the cosmetic applicator, when the tip side of the brush tip 6, which serves as the applicator body, is facing downward, the application liquid flows into the application liquid holding section 9. Furthermore, when the brush tip 6 of the cosmetic applicator is facing upward, the application liquid contained in the application liquid holding section 9 is held in place by the surface tension of the liquid inside and does not drip downward. Therefore, when the brush tip dries during upward application or storage, the application liquid held in the space 9k of the application liquid holding portion 9 is supplied to the application liquid supply pipe 11 via the opening grooves 9e1 and 9g1.

[0036] If a member such as a porous body is placed in the coating liquid holding section 9, the contact area between the coating liquid and the coating liquid holding section 9 is small, and in the case of a liquid with low surface tension, there is a concern that the holding force will be weak and the liquid will not be able to be held, or that the member will result in insufficient supply of liquid to the coating section.However, in this embodiment, by installing an inner wall (inner wall section 9e), it is possible to increase the contact area between the coating liquid and the coating liquid holding section 9, which makes it easier to hold even a liquid with low surface tension.

[0037] [Coating liquid container 12] The coating liquid container 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with one end (bottom) closed, and this coating liquid container 12 is preferably supplied as a replaceable cartridge. Then, by inserting the applicator supply port side of the coating liquid container 12 into the rear end of the front barrel 3, the locking protrusion 12a (see Figure 4) formed on the side of the coating liquid container 12 passes over the annular protrusion 3h (see Figure 6) formed inside the front barrel 3, thereby attaching the container. The coating liquid container 12 directly contains the coating liquid without any impregnated body such as padding, and also contains a stirring body 12c for stirring the coating liquid. The coating liquid container 12 is made of a resin material, and the agitator 12c can be made of a ball material such as metal or resin.

[0038] [Liquid cosmetics] Examples of liquid cosmetics that are suitable for use with the cosmetic applicator according to the present invention will now be described. The liquid cosmetic used in this cosmetic applicator contains at least glittering particles with a major axis length of 10 to 50 (μm), glittering particles with a major axis length of 50 to 100 (μm), and water, and has a viscosity set to less than 25 (mPa·s).

[0039] Glittering particles are plate-shaped pigments coated with a compound. Examples include pearlescent pigments, aluminum flake pigments (aluminum powder pigments), metal- or metal oxide-coated glass flakes, and aluminum-coated polyester films, as well as plate-shaped pigments coated with compounds such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, chitin, and chitosan. Glittering particles with a major axis length of 10-50 μm are combined with 0.5-5% of glittering particles with a major axis length of 50-100 μm. By combining multiple glittering particles, a more vivid and brilliant coating film can be easily obtained. If the numerical value falls below the above range, it becomes difficult to achieve sufficient glitter during application, while if it exceeds the range, evaluation based on the amount of liquid runoff becomes strict.

[0040] In addition, from the viewpoint of adhesion and dispersion stability, it is preferable to use an acrylic copolymer. The acrylic copolymer to be used may contain at least one of alkyl acrylate copolymer, acrylate copolymer, ammonium acrylate copolymer, acrylic resin alkanolamine liquid, alkyl acrylate-vinyl acetate copolymer, (alkyl acrylate / octylacrylamide) copolymer, silicone-modified acrylic copolymer, and octylacrylamide-acrylic acid copolymer.

[0041] The acrylic copolymer used is preferably an acrylic alkyl copolymer or an acrylate copolymer, etc., in terms of further enhancing the properties and improving adhesion. Examples of alkyl acrylate copolymers include (octylacrylamide / hydroxypropyl acrylate / butylaminoethyl methacrylate) copolymer (trade name "Amphomer": powder) and alkyl acrylate copolymer ammonium (trade name "Yodosol GH800F": solids content 45%).

[0042] For neutralization, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, triethanolamine, L-arginine, aqueous ammonia, sodium hydroxide, etc. can be used, with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol being particularly preferred. The content of these acrylic copolymers is preferably 1 to 20% in terms of solid content relative to the total amount of the composition. If the content of this acrylic copolymer is less than 1%, it becomes difficult to achieve the effects of the present invention, while if it exceeds 20%, the thickening effect becomes significant, making it difficult to discharge from the application part and to achieve good application.

[0043] The liquid cosmetic composition is prepared using the above-mentioned components and the remainder being water (purified water, ion-exchanged water, distilled water, pure water, etc.) as a solvent. Furthermore, moisturizers, antibacterial agents, antifoaming agents, inorganic pigments, organic pigments, dyes, surfactants, water-soluble organic solvents, etc. may be appropriately contained within a range that does not impair the dispersion system and does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0044] Examples of usable moisturizers include water-soluble glycols such as 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and glycerin. The content of these moisturizing agents is preferably in the range of 1 to 30%, more preferably 5 to 20%, based on the total amount of the composition.

[0045] Examples of antibacterial agents that can be used include parabens, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, etc. The antibacterial agent of the present invention contains a preservative, and examples of the parabens that serve as preservatives include methyl parahydroxybenzoate, ethyl parahydroxybenzoate, propyl parahydroxybenzoate, butyl parahydroxybenzoate, isopropyl parahydroxybenzoate, etc. that can be used in appropriate amounts.

[0046] Antifoaming agents that can be used include, for example, polydimethylsiloxane (simethicone), which is a silicone oil consisting of a mixture of linear siloxane polymers that are endblocked and methylated with trimethylsiloxy units.

[0047] From the viewpoint of suppressing skin irritation, the pH of the liquid cosmetic composition is preferably in the range of 6 to 9. The pH can be adjusted using a pH adjuster such as 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, triethanolamine, L-arginine, aqueous ammonia, sodium hydroxide, or citric acid solution.

[0048] FIG. 8 illustrates the application operation of the application liquid using the cosmetic applicator described above. As shown in Figure 8(A), tip 6 as an applicator protruding from front end opening 3b of front barrel 3 remains linear along the shaft when unused, i.e., when not applying application liquid. As is well known, tip 6 flexes and deforms when applying application liquid, as shown in Figure 8(B).

[0049] As explained with reference to Figure 3(A), the cosmetic applicator of this invention has a gap (denoted by the same symbol 3b as the front end opening) between the front end opening 3b of the front barrel 3 and the tip 6 that is sufficient to allow the tip 6 to bend and deform in response to the tip 6's bending deformation caused by the application of the coating liquid by the tip 6 to be transmitted to the tip inside the front barrel 3. Therefore, the fibers forming the tip 6 inside the tip barrel 3 do not maintain a tight contact state, but rather, as with the front half of the tip 6, the fibers are displaced due to the bending deformation of the tip 6. This prevents the tip 6 from becoming clogged with particles in the application liquid, allowing for stable application.

[0050] Meanwhile, by molding front barrel 3 from a transparent material, the state of the gap between front end opening 3b of front barrel 3 and brush tip 6 can be observed as follows. That is, when the brush tip 6 is pointed downward as shown in Figure 8(A), the application liquid accumulates in the gap between the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3 and the brush tip 6, and a pool of application liquid indicated by the symbol 3b1 is observed to form at the tip of the tip barrel 3.

[0051] When the tip 6 is bent and deformed by the application operation, the tip 6 inside the front end opening 3b is also bent and deformed, and the application liquid between the front end opening 3b and the tip 6 is consumed, causing the application liquid pool indicated by reference symbol 3b1 to disappear. In other words, as the application operation is repeated, the application liquid pool 3b1 at the tip of the front barrel 3 repeatedly appears and disappears. In other words, the repeated appearance and disappearance of the application liquid pool 3b1 can be understood as indicating that the tip of the brush inside the tip 3 also flexes and deforms, preventing clogging of the application liquid particles throughout the entire tip 6 and enabling stable application operations.

[0052] More specifically, when a cosmetic is applied to a surface, the glitter moves along with the application liquid through the flow path inside the applicator. If the flow resistance of the cosmetic increases due to the contact point between the application liquid supply pipe 11 and the brush tip 6 or changes in the flow path inside the brush tip 6, the glitter will accumulate on the walls of the flow path, narrowing the flow path. As the flow path continues to narrow due to the particles, it becomes clogged, reducing the amount of cosmetic that flows out and ultimately reducing the brightness of the drawn lines.

[0053] Effective methods for preventing clogging of the glitter particles include preventing the particles from coalescing together and from adhering to the walls of the flow path. In particular, to prevent particles from adhering to the fibers of the brush tip 6, it is effective to keep the particles moving fluidly relative to the fibers. This reduces the frequency with which the particles are fixed to the walls and reduces particle adhering, which can lead to narrowing of the flow path.

[0054] Therefore, focusing on the fact that the tip 6 of a liquid-dispensing eyeliner, which uses the tip 6 as the application part, bends during application, the tip is made to bend more when it comes into contact with the application surface, and in order to move the liquid cosmetic material containing glitter inside the tip 6 more against the fibers of the tip 6, a diameter difference (gap) "D1-D2" is provided between the inner diameter D1 of the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3 and the outer diameter D2 of the tip 6 located at the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3.

[0055] When the tip 6 is pressed against the application surface and bends, the tip 6 comes into contact with the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3, thereby suppressing the amount of deformation of the fibers of the tip 6. By making the gap "D1-D2" large, the distance from the tip 6 to the front end opening 3b of the tip barrel 3 can be increased, thereby allowing the tip 6 itself to bend to a greater extent.

[0056] When the brush tip 6 bends, the cosmetics stored in the brush tip 6 and the particles contained in the cosmetics are displaced in accordance with the deformation of the brush tip 6. By increasing the amount of bending of the brush tip 6, the cosmetics contained in the brush tip 6 can be displaced more, making it less likely for the particles to clog, and preventing a decrease in the brightness of the glitter and, ultimately, a decrease in the amount of cosmetics that flows out.

[0057] Also, in the cross-section of the pen tip 6 at the outer diameter D2 portion of the pen tip 6 located at the front-end opening 3b of the leading shaft 3, that is, in the cross-section of the pen tip 6 shown by the b-b line in Fig. 3(A), as shown in Fig. 3(B), the ratio (Sb / Sa) of the cross-sectional area Sb of the hollow portion 6a formed in the pen tip 6 to the cross-sectional area Sa of the cross-section surrounded by the outer periphery of the pen tip 6, which is the proportion Sr of the void area, is preferably 40% < Sr < 95%.

Example

[0058] The parameter in the present invention is such that the inner diameter of the front-end opening 3b of the leading shaft 3 is D1 <mm>The outer diameter of the brush tip 6 located at the front end opening 3b of the front barrel 3 is D2 <mm>The difference between the inner diameter D1 of the front end opening 3b and the outer diameter D2 of the brush tip 6 and the ratio of D2 to D3 was defined as D3. Regarding the measurement of the parameters, the inner diameter D1 of the front end opening 3b of the tip 3 was measured with a pin gauge, and the outer diameter D2 of the brush tip 6 was measured with a Keyence VHX-8000 microscope.

[0059] The cosmetic product contained three glitter components: 4% by weight of pearl pigment with an average particle size of 20 μm, 1% by weight of glass flakes with an average particle size of 30 μm, and 0.5% by weight of glass flakes with an average particle size of 20 μm. The brown, water-based eyeliner cosmetic product had a viscosity of 5 mPa·s (50 rpm) and a surface tension of 37 mN / m, and was applied to a non-absorbent urethane sheet with the applicator positioned horizontally. The inventors visually evaluated the glitter brightness of a certain number of samples applied to the urethane sheet. The "average particle size" was measured and calculated using a dynamic light scattering method (Particle Size Analyzer FPAR-1000, Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.). "Viscosity" was measured using a cone-plate viscometer (TOKIMEC TV-20), and "surface tension" was measured using an automatic surface tensiometer (Kyowa Interface Science DY-300) at a temperature of 25°C and humidity of 60%. In addition, the measured values of the cosmetic properties were rounded off to the nearest whole number.

[0060] Examples and comparative examples of the evaluation of the line brightness with respect to the various parameters described above are shown below. The evaluation was based on the following criteria: A: No decrease in brightness was observed even after 1000 brush strokes or more B: A decrease in brightness was observed with less than 800 brush strokes C: A decrease in brightness was observed with less than 600 brush strokes D: A decrease in brightness was observed with less than 400 brush strokes E: A decrease in brightness was observed with less than 200 brush strokes

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] Alternatively, the present invention may use a black water-based eyeliner cosmetic that does not contain the three types of glitter components that are glitter particles, but contains 8% by weight of carbon black, a carbon-based black pigment with an average particle size of 1000 nm, has a viscosity of 5 mPa·s (50 rpm), and a surface tension of 35 mN / m.The evaluation method is the same as above.

[0063] [Table 2] [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 rear axle 1a Posterior axial medial body 2 Caps 2a Cap inner layer 3 front axis 3a Tsuba 3b Front end opening 3b1 Coating liquid pool 3f male thread 3g Collector Storage Space 4 shaft cylinder 6 Brush tip (applicator) 6a Hollow part 6b Flange part 8. Collector 9. Coating liquid holding section 11 Coating liquid supply pipe 11a Shaft hole 12 Coating liquid container 12c Stirring element D1 Inner diameter of the front end opening of the front barrel D2 Outer diameter of the brush tip located at the front opening< / mm> < / mm>

Claims

1. A cosmetic applicator comprising a barrel formed by a front barrel and a rear barrel, an applicator body in the form of a brush tip made of bundled fibers is provided on the front barrel side of the barrel, and an application liquid container containing application liquid as a liquid cosmetic is disposed on the rear barrel side of the barrel, so that the application liquid in the application liquid container can be supplied to the brush tip, the tip of the brush is attached within the tip of the brush, and the tip of the brush is disposed so as to protrude from the tip of the brush through a front end opening of the tip of the brush; A cosmetic applicator characterized in that a gap is formed between the front end opening of the tip barrel and the tip, which allows the tip inside the tip barrel to flex and deform in response to the flexing and deforming of the tip due to the application action of the tip to apply the application liquid.

2. When the inner diameter of the front end opening of the front barrel is D1, the outer diameter of the brush tip located at the front end opening of the front barrel is D2, and (D1-D2) / D2=D3, (1) 1 mm ≦ D2 < D1 ≦ 3 mm (2) 0.25≦D3 2. The cosmetic applicator according to claim 1, which satisfies the above.

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