(en)A brush for cosmetic- or care-product application to human skin, in particular for lip-cosmetic application, wherein a bunch of fibers is bent in a shape of a U and, in the vicinity of a bight of the U, is fixed in a recess of a shank of the brush, and wherein the fibers are pointed towards both tips.

1.ApplicationNumber: US-6247805-A
1.PublishNumber: US-2005183737-A1
2.Date Publish: 20050825
3.Inventor: DUMLER NORBERT

4.Inventor Harmonized: DUMLER NORBERT(DE)

5.Country: US
6.Claims:
(en)A brush for cosmetic- or care-product application to human skin, in particular for lip-cosmetic application, wherein a bunch of fibers is bent in a shape of a U and, in the vicinity of a bight of the U, is fixed in a recess of a shank of the brush, and wherein the fibers are pointed towards both tips.

7.Description:
(en)BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a brush for applying lip cosmetics to the lips, a bunch of fibers being bent in a shape of a U and, in the vicinity of a bight of the U, being fixed in a recess of a shank of the brush and the fibers being pointed at least towards one tip.
2. Background Art
A brush of the generic type is known from EP 0 937 424 B1.
Brushes of the generic type, having a bunch of fibers bent in the shape of a U, are also known as so-called stamped brushes. Conventionally the fibers are natural hairs. Drawbacks of natural hairs reside in that they are not available at a low cost and in sufficient quantities of desired and reproducible quality. Moreover, from a point of view of hygiene, natural hairs are accompanied with some problems when in touch with the human skin, because they have a rough and thus expanded surface that lies open to the attack of germs. An advantage of natural hairs resides in their having a pointed tip, with a bunch of those pointed hairs being ideal as a brush and enabling highly sensitive application.
When a bunch of those natural hairs is fixed centrally in the recess of the brush, they will also stand out by the blunt tips, this deteriorating the brush properties in the application area. To avoid this drawback it has been known to fix a bunch of natural hairs in the vicinity of the blunt tips instead of centrally so that only the pointed tips stand out freely. However, this asymmetric arrangement negatively affects the shape of the brush, therefore not offering an optimal solution.
Brushes have also been known to be equipped with synthetic fibers which have the advantage of being available in reproducible quality and in nearly any quantities, but which are produced continuously. Consequently, the tipping of a brush is cut from a reel of continuous fibers, as a result of which the fibers have the same diameter at their tip and in the central sector, their diameter being substantially constant. No use can be made of the advantages offered by pointed fibers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to embody a brush of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that, on the one hand, it can be produced at a reasonable cost and comes up to hygienic requirements while, on the other hand, enabling a favorable shape to be put into practice that will result in a process of controlled tactile application in particular of lip cosmetics.
According to the invention, this object is attained by the fibers being pointed at both tips.
Accordingly, the invention abandons the conventional idea that synthetic fibers must necessarily be supplied and worked in the form of a continuous reel. Rather, slightly more complicated working is readily accepted in exchange for the achievement of so far unknown application results that are based on optimally configured individual fibers and total bunches of fibers. Preferably, provision can be made for the diameter of the fibers amounting to 0.05 mm to 0.30 mm where they are thickest, with the fibers tapering by an angle that ranges between 0.5° to 15°, proceeding in particular from the central sector.
The fibers consist of plastics, preferably PBT, polyester, polyacryl or polyamide.
The length of the fibers may favorably range between 10 mm and 80 mm, preferably being approximately 28 mm, with the fiber modulus of elasticity ranging from 1 to 4 GPa.
By advantage, the shank of the brush also consists of plastic material, with the diameter of the shank ranging between 2 mm and 10 mm, given a length of between 5 mm and 80 mm.
The bunch of fibers may be fixed in the recess of the shank by anchor-stamping, loop-stamping, melting, gluing, welding, in particular laser-welding; by laser, infrared or ultrasonic welding, puncturing or injection-molding.
The number of fiber tips of the brush favorably ranges between 25 and 1000 fibers, with fiber density ranging between 50 and 300 fibers per square millimeter.
The recess provided in the shank may have a round, oval or polygonal cross-sectional shape.
The fibers can be embodied in such a way that, proceeding from a central sector, they taper towards the tips or that there is a central sector of uniform—for instance cylindrical—geometry for a certain length. Preferably the fibers are synthetic fibers, however certain natural hairs are conceivable too. If synthetic fibers are used, various cross-sectional shapes are conceivable in addition to a cylindrical shape, for example C-shapes or cross-shapes or hollow fibers.
Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible that the brush, after manufacture, is heated and then flattened by means of a stamp, with a flat or oval brush originating after cooling.
Towards its free end, the shank of the brush may be provided with axial slots for improved receptivity. The free end of the shank may be rounded towards the tipping. The wire loop that serves for fixing the tipping may have various configurations that are known per se.
Details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawing.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side view of a fiber used in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a complete cosmetic unit, comprising a brush according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a shank of a brush;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the end portion of a shank of a brush with a bunch of fibers fixed therein; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a fiber according to the invention corresponding to FIG. 1 .


DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is a side view of a fiber 1 used in accordance with the invention. Proceeding from a central sector 2 , this fiber 1 comprises a first pointed tip 3 and a second pointed tip 4 .
When a bunch of those fibers 1 is being bent in a shape of a U in the direction of the arrows P 1 and P 2 , consequently being fixed symmetrically of the central longitudinal axis 5 in a recess 6 of the brush shank 7 as seen in FIG. 4 , what results is a fiber bunch 8 exclusively consisting of fibers that are pointed towards the tip of the brush.
FIG. 3 illustrates a brush shank 7 of plastics. A shank 7 of that type may be part of a cosmetic unit, scaled down in FIG. 2 ; the shank 7 is disposed in the recess 9 of a cap 10 which, by way of an internal thread 11 , can be screwed on an external thread 12 of the neck 13 of a cosmetic container 15 . The shank 7 combines with the fiber bunch 8 and with the cap 10 , which simultaneously constitutes a prolonged handle, the whole forming a brush 14 according to the invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the end portion of a shank 7 of a brush with a bunch of fibers 1 fixed therein. The bunch of fibers 1 is fixed with a drawing force of at least 5N.
Alternatively to the geometry shown in FIG. 1 , it can also be provided that the fibers 1 ′ have a cylindrical central section 16 , as illustrated in FIG. 5 .