Device for the treatment and/or make-up of keratin fibres

• US 6,003,519 A
• Filed: 08/06/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Gueret, Jean-Louis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US09/129,890
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 132/216, 132/217, 132/218, 132/313, 132/317, 132/320, 15/160, 15/167.1, 15/206, 401/122, 401/126, 401/129
• US Class Current: 132/218
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/0066 Coloring or bleaching
• 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: A46B 9/021 arranged like in cosmetics brushes, e.g. mascara, nail polish, eye shadow

Abstract

A brush for the treatment and/or make-up of a lock of hair holds the lock of hair therein and facilitates the delivery of an even application of product with, preferably, minimal strokes and without depositing excess product. A method of applying product for a lock of the hair includes loading product onto the bristles of such a brush, contacting the lock with the loaded bristles, and moving the loaded bristles along or around the lock to evenly coat the lock with the product.

Claims

1. A device for at least one of treatment and make-up of a lock of hair, comprising:

a handle; and

a brush, said brush comprising a core fixed to said handle, wherein said core holds a plurality of bristles and forms a loop having an opening to allow entry therein of said lock, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock with at least one of a treatment product and a make-up product.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the opening is less than 2/3 the width defined by the greatest distance between two points of the loop perpendicular to an axis of said loop, said axis passing substantially through the center of the opening of said loop.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the opening is less than 1/2 the width defined by the greatest distance between two points of the loop perpendicular to an axis of said loop, said axis passing substantially through the center of the opening of said loop.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said loop is inscribed within a plane.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said loop has an axis of symmetry.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said axis of symmetry is approximately perpendicular to the opening.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said loop has a center of symmetry.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said loop is in the form of an arc of a circle.

9. The device according claim 1, wherein said core is formed by the helical winding of two branches of a metal wire, the bristles being embedded radially in this core and gripped between these wound branches.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said core is made of a thermoplastic material, the bristles being fixed to this core by flocking.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said handle has an ergonomic indentation.

12. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the width of the opening is less than about one-third of the greatest distance between two points on the loop along a line perpendicular to an axis of the loop passing substantially through the center of the opening of said loop.

13. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the core has a first end fixed to the handle and a second end, the core further including a first bend near the first end of the core and a second bend near the second end of the core, wherein the width of the opening is defined as the distance between the first and second bends of the core.

14. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the core has a first end fixed to the handle and a second end, the core further including a first bend near the first end of the core and a straight portion near the second end of the core, the straight portion being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the handle, wherein the width of the opening is defined as the perpendicular distance between the first bend and the straight portion.

15. The applicator of claim 1, wherein a portion of the loop formed by the core is elliptically-shaped.

16. A system for dyeing a lock of hair, comprising:

a reservoir containing a dye product; and

an applicator designed to engage with the reservoir, wherein said applicator comprises a brush comprising a core fixed to a handle and forming a loop having two ends that are separated by a distance that is less than the width defined by the greatest distance between two points of the loop perpendicular to an axis of said loop, said axis passing substantially through the center of the opening of said loop, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock with at least one of a treatment product and a make-up product.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one end of the core is fixed to the handle.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the reservoir includes a threaded neck and the applicator includes a threaded handle, the threads of the handle being capable of engaging the threads of the neck to attach the applicator to the reservoir.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the reservoir further includes a seal located above the threads on the neck so that the threaded handle of the applicator presses against the seal for sealing off the reservoir when the applicator is attached to the reservoir.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the wiper includes deformable material.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a wiper.

22. A brush for at least one of treatment and make-up of a lock of hair, comprising:

a core holding a plurality of bristles and forming a loop having an opening to allow entry therein of said lock, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock with at least one of a treatment product and a make-up product.

23. A system for dyeing a lock of hair, comprising:

a reservoir;

a wiper; and

an applicator designed to engage with the reservoir, wherein said applicator comprises a brush comprising a core holding a plurality of bristles and forming a loop having an opening to allow entry therein of said lock, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock with at least one of a treatment product and a make-up product.

24. A method of applying a care, make-up, dyeing, or bleaching product to a lock of hair, comprising the steps of:

(1) loading said product onto bristles of a brush, said brush comprising a core holding a plurality of said bristles and forming a loop having an opening to allow entry therein of said lock, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved along or around said lock;

(2) contacting said lock of hair with said loaded bristles; and

(3) moving said loaded bristles along or around said lock to evenly coat said lock with said treatment and/or make-up product.

25. A method of applying a product of liquid to pasty consistency to the hair, comprising the steps of:

(1) loading said product onto bristles of a brush comprising a core holding a plurality of said bristles forming a loop having an opening to allow entry therein of a lock of hair, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along and a direction around said lock;

(2) contacting said lock of hair with said loaded bristles; and

(3) moving said loaded bristles in one of a direction along and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock with said product.

26. An applicator for applying product to hair, comprising:

a handle; and

a brush including a core having two ends, one end of the core being fixed to the handle, the core holding a plurality of bristles and forming a loop having an opening for receiving a lock of hair, wherein the width of the opening is less than about two-thirds of the greatest distance between two points on the loop along a line perpendicular to an axis of said loop passing substantially through the center of the opening of said loop, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the bristles are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock during application of the product.

27. A system for applying product to hair, comprising:

an applicator including a brush having a core holding a plurality of brush members and forming a loop having an opening for receiving a lock of hair, said loop being adapted to hold said lock therein when the brush members are moved in one of a direction along said lock and a direction around said lock to evenly coat said lock during application of the product; and

a container containing a hair product, the container being configured to receive at least a portion of the brush so that the hair product can be transferred from the container to the brush.