Device for dispensing at least two products, and dispensing end-piece

• US 20050184091A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Abergel, Aline
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/145.500
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/0066 Coloring or bleaching
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/022 for applying simultaneously two or more substances, e.g. colouring agents, to the hair without prior mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/026 having brush or comb applicators A45D24/22 take precedence; brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances A46B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/058 Means for mixing different substances prior to application
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3288 composed of two or more separate containers joined to each other

Abstract

A device for packaging and applying at least two products, particularly hair-treatment products. The device includes a first compartment suitable for containing a first product, and a second compartment suitable for containing a second product. An applicator end-piece includes at least two orifices for dispensing the product, and the end-piece has an interior distributor dividing the flows of products emanating, respectively, from the compartments. The end-piece also includes a first orifice that dispenses a mixture of the first and second products in respectively different proportions from those of a mixture of these products dispensed by a second orifice.

Claims

1. A device for packaging and applying at least two products, particularly hair-treatment products, including

a first compartment suitable for containing a first product,

a second compartment suitable for containing a second product, and

an applicator end-piece including at least two dispensing orifices for dispensing the product, and wherein the end-piece is mounted such that each dispensing orifice is in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second compartments;

wherein;

(i) at least one of the dispensing orifices is in fluid communication with the first and second compartments, and

(ii) the end-piece includes an interior distributor dividing the flows of products emanating, respectively, from the first and second compartments, such that a first dispensing orifice dispenses a first mixture of first and second products in different proportions from those of a second mixture of these products dispensed by a second dispensing orifice.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of one of the products of one of the first and second mixtures is zero.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the end-piece includes at least three dispensing orifices such that a first dispensing orifice is in fluid communication with the first receptacle only, a second dispensing orifice is in communication with the first receptacle and the second receptacle, and a third dispensing orifice is in communication with the second receptacle only.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the end-piece includes a chamber divided into at least a first zone and a second zone by the distributor, and wherein the end-piece includes inlets respectively connected to the receptacles and feeding the first and second zones, and wherein each zone includes at least one outlet in communication with a dispensing orifice.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the end-piece includes a chamber divided into at least a first zone and a second zone by the distributor, and wherein the end-piece includes inlets respectively connected to the receptacles and feeding the first and second zones, and wherein each zone includes at least one outlet in communication with a dispensing orifice.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the first zone includes at least two outlets having different cross-sections, and wherein each of these two outlets is in communication with a different dispensing orifice.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein a second zone includes at least two outlets having different cross-sections and wherein each of these two outlets is in communication with a different dispensing orifice.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein the inlets open out at a lower face of the chamber, and wherein the outlets are positioned at an upper face of the chamber.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the distributor extends at least partially orthogonally to the lower face.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the distributor extends at least partially orthogonally to the upper face.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the chamber is parallelepipedal and the distributor extends along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.

12. A device according to claim 5, wherein the chamber is parallelepipedal and the distributor extends along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the end-piece includes teeth.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the end-piece includes teeth.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the teeth are arranged to form a comb.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out in a hollow formed between two teeth.

17. A device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out in an end portion of a tooth.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out laterally relative to the end portion of a tooth and towards a space defined between two adjacent teeth.

19. A device according to claim 14, wherein the first and second compartments each have a main extension axis, and wherein the teeth extend parallel to at least one of the main extension axes.

20. A device according to claim 14, wherein the first and second compartments each have a main extension axis, and wherein the teeth extend in a surface that is secant to at least one of the main extension axes.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the teeth extend perpendicular to at least one of the main extension axes.

22. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an assembly inside of which the first and second compartments are positioned such that the end-piece is retained on this assembly in communication with the first and second compartments.

23. A device according to claim 1, further including a supply of the first product in the first compartment and a supply of the second product in the second compartment, wherein the first product is different than the second product, and wherein the first and second products are hair products.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein the first and second compartments include means for dispensing products contained therein.

25. A device according to claim 23, wherein one of the first and second compartments includes manually compressible walls so as to cause the product it contains to be fed into the end-piece through the effect of a force applied over an outer periphery of these walls.

26. A device according to claim 23, wherein one of the first and second compartments includes a piston arranged in a bottom of the compartment, such that movement of the piston causes the end-piece to be fed with product.

27. A device according to claim 23, wherein the first product is a first hair dye and the second product is a second hair dye.

28. A device according to claim 1, further including a third compartment and wherein the end-piece includes at least three inlets for connection, respectively, to the first, second and third compartments.

29. A device according to claim 28, wherein the at least three inlets open out in a chamber divided into at least three zones by a distributor, and wherein each of the zones is fed, respectively, by one inlet.

30. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first dispensing orifice dispenses the first mixture of the first and second products with non-zero amounts of said first and second products, and wherein the second dispensing orifice dispenses the second mixture of the first and second products with non-zero amounts of said first and second products, and wherein a ratio of the amount of the first product to the amount of the second product for the first mixture is different than that of the second mixture.

31. A device according to claim 30, further including a further dispensing orifice which dispenses said first product without any of said second product.

32. A device according to claim 31, further including a still further dispensing orifice which dispenses said second product without any of said first product.

33. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first mixture includes said first product without any of said second product and said second mixture includes non-zero amounts of said first and second products, and wherein the device further includes a third dispensing orifice which dispenses said second product without any of said first product.

34. An applicator end-piece suitable for dispensing at least two products, said end-piece including:

a chamber divided into at least a first zone and a second zone by an interior distributor, the zones being fed with said products via supply inlets;

at least one outlet associated with each of said first and second zones;

at least two dispensing orifices, each in fluid communication with at least one outlet;

wherein;

(i) at least one of the dispensing orifices is in fluid communication with said first and second zones, and

(ii) the interior distributor is arranged such that the flow of products arriving, respectively, via the inlets is divided via the outlets such that a first dispensing orifice dispenses a mixture of first and second products in different proportions from those of a mixture of these products dispensed by a second dispensing orifice.

35. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the first zone includes two outlets and in that the second zone includes one outlet.

36. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the end-piece includes three dispensing orifices.

37. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein a first ratio of a section of a first outlet in communication with the first zone to a section of a second outlet in communication with the second zone, this first outlet and this second outlet feeding a first dispensing orifice, is different from a second ratio of a section of a third outlet in communication with the first zone to a section of a fourth outlet in communication with the second zone, this third outlet and this fourth outlet feeding a second dispensing orifice different from the first dispensing orifice.

38. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein at least one of the outlets is closeable to effectively have a zero cross-section.

39. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the first zone includes at least two outlets of different cross-sections, and wherein these two outlets communicate with separate dispensing orifices.

40. An end-piece according to claim 39, wherein the second zone includes at least two outlets of different cross-sections and wherein these two outlets communicate with separate dispensing orifices.

41. An end-piece according to claim 40, wherein a first outlet of the first zone and a first outlet of the second zone communicate with a first dispensing orifice, and wherein a second outlet of the first zone and a second outlet of the second zone communicate with a second dispensing orifice, and wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the first outlet of the first zone to a cross-sectional area of the first outlet of the second zone is different from a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the second outlet of the first zone to a cross-sectional area of the second outlet of the second zone.

42. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the inlets open out at a lower face of the chamber, and wherein the at least one outlet of each zone is positioned on an upper face of the chamber.

43. An end-piece according to claim 42, wherein the distributor extends at least partially orthogonally to the lower face.

44. An end-piece according to claim 43, wherein the distributor extends at least partially orthogonally to the upper face.

45. An end-piece according to claim 44, wherein the chamber is parallelepipedal and the distributor extends along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.

46. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the chamber is parallelepipedal and the distributor extends along a diagonal of the parallelepiped.

47. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the end-piece includes teeth arranged to form a comb.

48. An end-piece according to claim 47, wherein at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out in a hollow formed between two teeth.

49. An end-piece according to claim 47, wherein at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out in an end portion of a tooth.

50. An end-piece according to claim 49, wherein the at least one of the dispensing orifices opens out laterally relative to the end portion of a tooth and towards a space defined between two adjacent teeth.

51. An end-piece according to claim 34, wherein the end-piece includes at least three inlets in order to be mounted, respectively, on at least three receptacles and in that these inlets open out in a chamber divided into at least three zones by the distributor, and wherein each of the zones is fed, respectively, by one inlet.

52. An end-piece according to claim 34, in combination with a first receptacle and a second receptacle to form a packaging and dispensing device, and wherein the first and second receptacles respectively contain first and second hair products, wherein the first hair product is different than the second hair product, and further wherein the supply inlets of said end-piece include a first inlet which receives the first hair product and a second inlet which receives the second hair product.

53. A device according to claim 52, wherein the first dispensing orifice dispenses said first hair product without any of said second hair product.

54. A device according to claim 53, wherein said second dispensing orifice dispenses non-zero amounts of both said first and second hair products.

55. A device according to claim 54, further including a third dispensing orifice which dispenses non-zero amounts of both said first and second hair products in different proportions than said second dispensing orifice.

56. A device according to claim 55, further including a fourth dispensing orifice which dispenses said second hair product without any of said first hair product.

57. A device according to claim 54, further including a third dispensing orifice which dispenses said second product without any of said first hair product.

58. A device according to claim 52, wherein the first and second dispensing orifices each dispense non-zero amounts of each of the first and second hair products.