EP0219138A2

EP0219138A2 - Container for cosmetics

Info

Publication number: EP0219138A2
Application number: EP86114489A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fulvio Reggiani
Original assignee: VERCAP Srl; Maplast SRL
Current assignee: VERCAP Srl; Maplast SRL
Priority date: 1985-10-18
Filing date: 1986-10-20
Publication date: 1987-04-22
Also published as: IT8523450V0; EP0219138A3; IT209235Z2

Abstract

The container comprises a tank (2) for the cosmetic, an applicator brush (4) accommodated extractably in the tank (2), and a membrane scraper (7) fixed to the mouth of the latter, characterized in that it provides means (15) for controlling the membrane scraper, mounted on the mouth of the tank (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a container for cosmetics particularly suitable for applying controlled amounts of mascara on the eyelashes.
Mascara is a liquid cosmetic product which is applied on the eyelashes by means of a suitably shaped brush which dips into a container. The brush, which is directly associated with the closure of the container, is extracted from the mouth thereof by causing it to pass through a scraper. This is essentially composed of a deformable element which is provided with a narrow passage section for the brush. Among others, a container with two containment bodies is known, an internal one and an external one for containing the cosmetic, reciprocally sliding in one another by means of a threaded advancement device applied to the bottom of the container which pushes the mouth of the internal containment body, having a membrane scraper, towards a biasing body provided in turn on the mouth of the outer containment body. The scraper, which is composed of a membrane of elastic material with a central hole for the passage of the brush, interfering with smaller or greater intensity with the abutment body, alters the dimensions of the brush passage section, removing therefrom matching amounts of the cosmetic.
The known containers of the type described above. however, have several disadvantages. Among these, the presence of a complicated and clumsy mechanism with two reciprocally sliding containment bodies for performing a control on the scraper. Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism mounted on the bottom of the container protrudes therefrom, representing an inconvenient and unsightly axial bulk. This kind of positioning of the adjustment mechanism furthermore forces the user to employ both hands to intervene thereon, not allowing the possibility of extracting the brush while adjusting at the same time the amount of cosmetic (which condition is particularly useful. since it also allows the immediate visual control of the dose of cosmetic carried by the brush).
The present invention has the aim of overcoming the above described limitations and disadvantages of the conventional solutions described above. Particularly, the invention has the aim of providing a container for mascara wherein the adjustment of the scraper does not require the use of a complicated two-container structure.
A further object is to provide a container wherein the means for adjusting the amount of cosmetic which is deposited on the applicator brush are not bulky and can be operated directly while extracting the brush.
This and other objects are achieved by the container for cosmetics according to the present invention, of the type comprising a tank for the cosmetic, an applicator brush for the cosmetic extractably accommodated in said tank and a membrane scraper fixed on the mouth of the latter, substantially characterized in that it provides control means for said membrane scraper mounted on the mouth of the container.
According to further characteristics of the invention, said control means for the scraper are composed of a conical biasing element mounted axially slideable in an adjustable manner on the mouth of the container itself by acting on a threaded ring retained on the body of the container by means of a connector snap-mounted thereon.
The container according to the invention offers the advantage, with respect to the conventional systems of the same kind, of being simpler since it does not entail the use of a plurality of containment bodies for performing the control of the scraper: furthermore, it can be assembled easily by virtue of the presence of snap-together connecting means: finally, the positioning of the scraper control means on the front part of the device allows to extract the applicator brush while adjusting the amount of the cosmetic it is desired to use.
These and other characteristics and advantages appear from the following description, given with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred, non-limitative embodiment of the invention, where:

Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of the container of the invention with the closure raised:
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the container of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the container of Fig. 1 without the closure:
Fig. 4 is a cross-section view along the line IV-IV of the container of Fig. 3 with the closure and with the scraper in a fully closed position: and
Fig. 5 is a view of the container of Fig. 4 with the scraper completely open.

The container according to the invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 1 in Fig. 1 and is composed of a tank 2 for the mascara, of a threaded closure 3 and of an applicator brush 4 directly coupled to the same closure 3. The upper end of the container 2, i.e. the one engaging with the closure 3, has a neck 5 with a mouth 6 on which the scraper 7 is fixed. This scraper is composed of a membrane of elastic material having a flared shape, provided in the center with a hole 8 which represents the passage section of the brush 4. The neck 5 of the container furthermore has ridges 9 and seats or axial recesses 10 the function of which will be explained hereafter. On the neck 5 of the tank 2 having the scraper 7, a ring 11 is applied having an internal thread 12 suitable for engaging with the matching outer thread 13 of a biasing body 14, also provided with an upper flaring 15 with a central hole 17 having shape and dimensions comparable with those of the scraper 7. The biasing body 14 is furthermore provided, in its threaded part, with separate sectors 16 which are adapted for being accommodated in the seats 10 of the neck 5 of the tank 2 and for sliding axially therein as a result of the rotation in the two directions of the ring 11 and of the mutual engagement between said threads 12 and 13. The ring 11 is in turn retained in position on the container by means of the connection 18 applied in snap-together engagement with the ridges 9 of the tank 2 and provided on the outside with a thread 19 for the screwing on and the closing of the closure 3 of the container on the tank 2.
As illustrated in the drawings, rotation in the two directions of the threaded ring 11 causes respectively the raising of the conical biasing body 15 (Fig. 4) and its lowering (Fig. 5) with respect to the scraper 7. In the first case the edges of the hole 8 of the membrane are elastically tightened around the external profile of the applicator brush, and in this position the maximum removing effect is achieved. In the second case the interference of the biasing body 15 with the membrane 7 causes the divarication of the latter, i.e. the dilatation of the hole 8 the edges of which, widening, increase the passage section for the brush which therefore retains the maximum amount of the cosmetic liquid. By acting on the ring 11, also with the aid of abutment notches (not illustrated) on the same ring and on the tank, it is possible to adjust the opening of the hole 8 of the membrane 7 (and therefore the amount of mascara deposited on the brush) to the desired degree in a position comprised between the two illustrated extreme positions.
Naturally, to the invention as now described and illustrated it is possible to perform modifications and variations without thereby abandoning the present scope of protection.

Claims

1. Container for cosmetics, comprising a tank for the cosmetic, an applicator brush accommodated extractably in said tank and a scraper with a membrane fixed to the mouth of the latter, characterized in that it provides means for controlling said membrane scraper, mounted on the mouth of said tank.

2. Container according to claim 1, wherein said control means are composed of a conical biasing element (15) mounted axially slideable in an adjustable manner on the mouth (6) of the tank (2) so as to interfere, during its motion, with said membrane scraper (7) respectively widening and reducing the passage section (8) for the applicator brush (4).

3. Container according to claim 2, wherein is furthermore provided a threaded ring (11) held in position on the mouth of the tank by a connector (18) snap-mounted on the same mouth, said conical biasing element (15) being provided with separate threaded sectors (16) which, by engaging with the matching thread (12) of said ring (11) cause, through the rotation of the latter, respectively the lowering and the spacing apart of the same biasing element (15) with respect to the scraper (7).

4. Container according to claim 3, wherein at said mouth of the tank (2) are provided axial seats or recesses (10), adapted for accommodating in an axially slideable manner said threaded sectors (16) of the conical biasing element.

5. Container according to claim 3, wherein on the mouth (6) of the tank (2) are provided ridges (9) for the snap-together engagement of said connector (18) on the body of the container, said connector being provided with an external thread (19) for screw-on closing of the closure (3) on the tank (2).

6. Container according to claim 3, wherein on the outer surface of said threaded ring (11) and of said tank (2) graduated notches and abutments are provided to visualize the degree of adjustment of the scraping effect of said membrane (7).