APPLICATOR UNIT OF NAIL VARNISH

The invention relates to an applicator assembly of one liquid or viscous product to be used especially in the fields of cosmetics, paints or adhesives. In the field of cosmetics, the product may be a nail varnish or a nail care composition, or a liquid lipstick.

Typically, a set of application of fingernail polish comprises a lacquer reservoir and means for application of said varnish, such as a brush having a tuft of bristles, attached to a first end of a rod, the rod being secured by its other end in a cap serving as a grip part for closing the reservoir, so that the tuft of bristles is immersed in the varnish application when the assembly is closed.

To ensure the correct the assembly is closed, the tank has a neck with a first thread which cooperates with a second thread provided in the cap. The neck is generally thick and flat, and provided with a sealing strip. The rod is held in the cap via a bracket which comprises a sealing plate. The tray seal is in contact with the sealing strip of the neck when the set of application is closed.

To apply the lacquer on the nail, the user exits the tank the brush which is impregnated product. Typically, the brush comprises excess product. Therefore, it is need to remove the excess and therefor, the user squeezes the brush by wiping it on the free end of the neck of the container. The end of the neck being flat and thick, the product will remain on the neck and casting along its outer wall and its thread and soiling. When the user belonging to the cap for closing the reservoir, the product spreads on the neck and in the thread. The product thus forms a fouling after drying the cap assembly-neck. During the next uses, is difficult, or even impossible, unscrewing the cap from the reservoir. Furthermore, the product which is located on the neck does not ensure proper sealing of the set of application because the tray sealing out of sealing contact with the sealing strip of the neck. Furthermore, due to the range of the tray on the neck, it is no longer possible to take up the slack which is formed between the neck and the range, after the first use thus further reducing sealing.

For wiping the brush, before use, it has been proposed in the Patent FR-B- [...] shape the neck, in its lower part, in form of a ridge on which the brush is rubbed to remove excess product. GB According to the request-A -2 198,423, it has been contemplated the strips in the neck which form a collar wiping of the brush. However, these wiping devices do not allow the user to view the wiping action and the brush, wiping, has excess and deficiency of product. Also, the user cannot visually dosing the amount of product to be applied to the nails.

The present invention thus aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

To, in particular, provide a set of application that allows to wipe the applicator member while avoiding soiling of the mouth of the reservoir. It is adapted to also provide wiping means for the user to control the amount of product to be applied.

The invention has been found, unexpectedly and surprisingly, that such results can be obtained by placing in the neck a skirt whose upper edge wipe the applicator.

The applicator assembly according to the invention, although recommended for the packaging of nail varnish, may be suitable for the application of any other liquid or viscous product, and in particular paints, in particular paints for models and drawing, and adhesives.

The present invention provides a device for applying a product, liquid or viscous, comprising a reservoir, having a neck with an inner wall and a gripping member carrying an applicator member immersed, in the storage position, in the product contained in the tank, the neck defining an opening in the tank, characterized in that the neck comprises in the opening a skirt with an upper edge directed outwardly from the reservoir and adapted to allow wiping the applicator member prior to applying the substance, said skirt being provided with an outer wall and being received in the opening of the bottle neck, a space being provided between the inner wall of the neck and the outer wall of the skirt.

The gap allows excess product removed from the applicator member, when wiping on the upper edge of the skirt, to flow into the reservoir without contaminating the neck. Furthermore, the arrangement of the upper edge of the skirt allows the user to see and control the wiping operation, and thus to control the amount of product to remain on the applicator member after wiping.

Advantageously, means can be provided between the outer wall of the skirt and the inner wall of the neck, to maintain the skirt in the opening; said holding means may be attached to the neck. They can include, for example, a tube press-fitted into the aperture of the neck, the skirt being bonded to said tube by connection means that can be, for example, rigid tabs or a weld in a direction substantially parallel to an axis X of the reservoir, generally cylindrical. The tube can have at its upper end a flange which rests on the upper edge of the neck to ensure its retention in the neck, as well as for maintaining the skirt. However, the connection between the neck and the tube could be carried out by means of gluing.

Preferably, the skirt has a section, on a plane perpendicular to the axis X, substantially cylindrical or oval shape, but can be of any other form.

Advantageously, at least a portion of the upper edge of the skirt is located above the free end of the neck, which allows the user to see easily and well control the operation of wiping the applicator member. Preferably, the entire upper edge of the skirt is located above the free end of the neck to a better view of wiping. In the presence of the flange of the holding tube, it is desirable that said portion protrudes above the flange.

According to a first alternative embodiment, the upper edge of the skirt is located substantially in a plane perpendicular to the X axis.

According to a second alternative embodiment, the skirt upper edge is located substantially in an inclined plane relative to axis X. Preferably, the plane is inclined at an angle a from 10° to 60°. In this conformation, a portion of the upper edge of the skirt is at a height higher than the remainder of the edge. Ups The user preferably the applicator member at the highest portion of the edge of the skirt, making the wiping operation more easily and more accurately.

The skirt may be centered or offset relative to axis X. As the skirt is eccentric, it can be welded to the tube in a direction substantially parallel to the axis X, thus establishing a good holding the skirt on the tube and the skirt system-tube can then be integrally molded. In particular, at least a portion of the outer wall of the skirt and at least a portion of the inner wall of the tube are merged.

The application means may be a brush, a foam, a pen, a flocked plastic or molded plastic.

When the applicator member is a brush, it comprises a tuft of bristles, the bristles which can be executed in any material and in any form known to those skilled in the art.

The set of application of the invention is perfectly well suited to the packaging of a nail varnish. Also, the invention also relates to a set of application of a nail varnish comprising a reservoir, having a spout and a gripping member carrying an applicator member immersed, in the storage position, in the paint within the reservoir, the neck defining an opening in the tank, characterized in that the neck comprises in the opening a skirt with an upper edge directed outwardly from the reservoir and adapted to allow wiping the applicator member to the edge prior to application of the product, said skirt being provided with an outer wall and being received in the opening of the bottle neck, a space being provided between said inner wall and said outer wall.

The invention comprises, apart from the provisions set forth above, in a number of other provisions which will be more explicitly question below, about examples described with reference to the drawings appended, which is, in no way limiting.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an applicator assembly according to a first aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the applying assembly of Figure 1 during the wiping operation of the applicator member.

Figure 3 is an axial section across the wiping member of the set of application of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an axial section of a wiper element of an applicator assembly according to a second aspect of the invention.

Figure 5 is an axial section of a wiper element of an applicator assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention.

In referring to the appended Figures 1 to 3, we can see an applicator assembly designated by the reference 2, comprising a reservoir 4 having a longitudinal axis X of symmetry and a cap 6. The substantially cylindrical tank 4 contains a liquid or viscous product 8 to be applied, which can be for example a nail varnish composition. The reservoir is typically glass.

The reservoir 4 comprises a neck 10 having an internal wall 11, of a thread 12 and an opening 14 which has a wiper element 16. The element 16 comprises a cylindrical skirt 18 provided with an upper edge 32 directed outwardly from the reservoir and a lower edge 33 directed towards the inside of the tank. The skirt 18 is housed in a cylindrical tube 20 and is connected to it by a longitudinal weld 22 in a direction substantially parallel to the axis X. The tube 20 is press-fitted into the aperture 14 of the neck 10 and has at its top a flange 24 which rests on the upper edge of the neck 26, thereby maintaining the tube 20 in the opening 14 of the neck 10 at a constant height. A space 28 is provided between the outer wall 29 of the skirt 18 and the inner wall 30 of the tube.

The assembly skirt-tube is made in one piece, especially in plastic, and a portion of the outer wall of the skirt and a part of the inner wall of the tube are merged. Furthermore, the skirt 18 has a cross-section eccentric cylindrical along the X axis.

The upper edge 32 of the skirt is located substantially in a plane P which is inclined by an angle a with respect to the axis X. For example, a can be equal to 45°.

The portion of the upper edge 32 of the skirt the highest h is located at a height which is above the upper edge of the neck 26, and above the flange 24.

The cap 6 includes a cylindrical sleeve 34 serving as a grip part whose inner wall is provided with a thread 36 complementary to the thread 12 of the neck 10. The cap also includes an applicator member 38 which is in the present case the brush comprising a tuft of bristles 40 attached to the free end 42a of a rod 42. The other end (not shown) of the stem is secured within the cap 6 via a sealing plate matching the shape of the body-wiping member.

When the application assembly is closed, the cap 6 is screwed onto the container 4. When the user desired to apply the product 8, it unscrews the cap and outputs the brush 38 of the tank. The brush 38 comprises an excess of product. To eliminate this excess, the user wipes the brush 32 on the upper edge of the skirt 16. The overspray removed will then flow along the inner and outer walls of the skirt 16 and especially in the space 28, and reach the interior of the tank 4. Therefore, the removed excess does not flow along the outer wall of the neck 10 and does not foul the thread 12. Furthermore, the emergence of the upper edge 32 of the reservoir allows the user to view the wiping operation:

the user can thus visually dosing the amount of product remaining on the brush after wiping.

In another embodiment of the applicator assembly according to the invention, the skirt 18 may be formed of glass and the skirt system-neck formed in one piece. Therefore, a portion of the outer wall 29 of the skirt and a part of the inner wall 11 of the neck are merged.

On Figure 4, elements identical or playing roles similar to elements already described are designated by the same numeric references. Resume Their description will not be or will be performed in accordance with.

The wiper of Figure 4 has substantially the same conformation as that of Figure 3, except that the height of the skirt is smaller. In particular, the uppermost portion of the upper edge 32 of the skirt is located beneath the upper edge of the flange 24 attached to the neck 10. Although the skirt does not extend beyond the top of the neck, its arrangement allows wipe the brush and visually checking the wiping.

In referring to Figure 5, we can see a other embodiment of the wiper member of the applicator assembly according to the invention. The elements different from those of the Figures 1 to 4 are designated by references added 100.

Differences include the shape of the skirt.

Therefore, the wiping member of Figure 5 has a skirt 118 of constant height bonded to said tube 20 by radial tongues 44 which hold the skirt 118 in the opening 14 of the neck 10, an annular space 128 separating the outer wall of the skirt of the inner wall of the tube 20. The upper edge 132 of the skirt is located in a plane P ' substantially perpendicular to the axis X and above the upper edge of the neck. The skirt has a cylindrical cross-section centered along the X axis.