Title of the invention: Adjustable-length mascara brush

[0001 ] The present invention relates to applicator device for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, notably a makeup or care product, for example mascara, and also to the corresponding packaging and application devices.

[0002] The expression“cosmetic product” is understood to mean any product as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of November 30, 2009 on cosmetic products. Thus, a cosmetic product is generally defined as being a substance or a blend intended to be brought into contact with superficial parts of the human body (epidermis, body-hair and head- hair systems, nails, lips, and external genitalia) or with the teeth and the buccal mucous membranes, with a view, exclusively or mainly, to cleansing them, fragrancing them, modifying their appearance, protecting them, keeping them in good condition, or correcting body odors.

[0003] Mascara is understood to be a composition intended to be applied to the

eyelashes. It may notably be a makeup composition for the eyelashes, a makeup base for the eyelashes, (or“base coat”), a composition to be applied over a mascara, (or“top coat”), or else a composition for the cosmetic treatment of the eyelashes.

[0004] The product is advantageously non-liquid, for example of pasty consistency, notably having a viscosity higher than 5 poise, or better, greater than 250 poise.

[0005] The viscosity may be measured at 1 atmosphere and at 25°C with the aid of a Contraves TV rotary viscometer fitted with an MS-r2, MS-r3, MS-r4 or MS-r5 measuring bar at a frequency of 60 Hz, the measurement being taken after 10 minutes of rotation of the measuring bar within the composition.

[0006] The mascara is more particularly intended for human eyelashes, but also for false eyelashes. [0007] The application of mascara is in particular directed toward increasing the intensity of the gaze, notably by increasing the volume of the eyelashes to a greater or lesser extent. The principle is to apply a desired quantity of substance to the eyelashes in order to obtain this volumizing effect.

[0008] The cosmetic product is applied by means of an applicator. Numerous

cosmetic product applicators that are intended for applying said product to keratin fibers, in particular mascara to eyelashes, are known.

[0009] In general, an applicator comprises an applicator member connected to a

member for grasping by way of a stem made of a rigid thermoplastic material. In general, the stem is rectilinear.

[0010] The applicator member defines an application surface and has a main body or core, of generally elongate shape, which is able to bear application elements that project from said core. Preferably, the application elements extend in an overall direction substantially normal to the core (particularly a radial direction).

[0011 ] During application, the application member is loaded with cosmetic product and brought into contact with the fibers in order to deposit the product on said fibers. The application elements, which are spaced apart, form cosmetic product reservoir zones. They also allow the target keratinous fibers to be

separated/combed.

[0012] The applicator is generally intended to be used with a reservoir which

contains the cosmetic product to be applied and a free edge of which delimits an opening. The applicator member is introduced through the opening into the reservoir, where it is loaded with cosmetic product before being withdrawn from said reservoir in order to carry out the application. Conventionally, the member for gripping also serves as a cap able to close the reservoir.

[0013] The length of the applicator member is naturally tailored to the length of the area to be made up. As standard, applicator members having lengths of 26, 32 or 42 mm are thus known.

[0014] However, applicator members said to be adjustable and of which the shape, particularly the length, can be modified and adapted by the user, are known. Documents US3998235, US4446880, US20122012131 and US2017172285 describe such adjustable-length applicator members. [0015] In general and in a way known per se, such applicators comprise a hollow main stem inside which there is positioned a secondary stem capable of translational movement in a substantially longitudinal direction of the main stem. The applicator member takes the form of a sleeve of which a first end is fixed firmly to one end of the main stem and an opposite second end is fixed firmly to one end of the mobile secondary stem.

[0016] Thus, by retracting or deploying the secondary stem with respect to the

corresponding end of the main stem, the sleeve that forms the applicator member contracts or extends, thus varying in length. The member for gripping

incorporates a system which thus allows the length of deployment of the secondary stem with respect to the main stem to be adjusted. For a more precise overall description of the mechanisms, reference may be made to the

aforementioned documents included by reference.

[0017] In order to make the applicator member easy to compress and to extend, it is generally made of a thermoplastic elastomer material. A thermoplastic elastomer is generally intended to mean polymers or blends of polymers that have, at the service temperature, properties similar to those of vulcanized rubber. These properties disappear at the processing temperature, making subsequent processing possible, but reappear when the material returns to the service temperature (of. standard ISO 18064:2014). For general information on

thermoplastic elastomer materials, reference may in particular be made to the guide from Techniques de I’lngenieur, Traite Plastiques et Composites

[Engineering Techniques, Treatise on Plastics and Composites], AM 3 400 by Michel Biron published on July 10, 2000. The thermoplastic material used may be, for example, SEBS (styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene), a silicone, butyl rubber, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), a nitrile rubber, a

thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a polyester elastomer, a polyamide elastomer, a polyethylene elastomer or a vinyl elastomer, but also a polyolefin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), PVC, PS, PET, POM, PA or PMMA. It is possible in particular to use the materials known commercially under the trade names Hytrel®, Cariflex®, Alixine®, Santoprene® or Pebax®, this list not being limiting. [0018] Furthermore, the applicator member is also generally produced in the form of a concertina having an alternation of peaks and troughs in a longitudinal direction of said applicator member corresponding to the direction in which it

extends/compresses. The peaks may potentially bear application elements such as teeth or spikes or may in themselves constitute said application elements, the troughs constituting reserves of cosmetic product.

[0019] This type of applicator member with a concertina structure having longitudinal corrugations is not optimal for a number of reasons, and there is still a need for an applicator member structure that allows optimized application.

[0020] First of all, during a movement of shortening or lengthening the applicator member, the radial distance separating the troughs and peaks from the central longitudinal axis of said applicator member may vary considerably. Such a variation in radial distance between several configurations will have an impact on the makeup result. Moreover, the change in radial distance will also have a considerable impact on the intensity of the wiping of the applicator member as it is extracted from the reservoir after loading and passes through a wiping member the force of wiping of which is highly dependent on the diameter of the applicator member by comparison with the cross section of passage through the wiping device.

[0021 ] It may also be noted that, in the case of a concertina structure, the volume available between two peaks also varies greatly between the compressed configuration and an extended configuration. It then follows that the quantity of mascara picked up may also vary very considerably between the various configurations, and this is something that is not necessarily desirable.

[0022] Extendable/retractable structures of the spring type are also known, as

illustrated in document US3998235. Such a configuration makes it possible to solve the problem of the variation in radial distance of the application elements. Flowever, such a configuration has a relatively small area available for installing projecting application elements. In particular, in the extended configuration, the density of projecting application elements may become particularly low and uneven along the longitudinal axis. [0023] There is therefore still a need for a structure for an extendable/compressible applicator member that makes it possible to have a considerable installation area while at the same time solving the problems mentioned hereinabove.

[0024] In order to do that, the present application proposes an applicator for applying a cosmetic product, in particular to keratin fibers, and notably for applying mascara to eyelashes, said applicator comprising an applicator member connected to a member for grasping, by means of a main stem, said applicator member having a core of which a first end, referred to as the proximal end, is fixed to the main stem and an opposite second end, referred to as the distal end, is fixed to a secondary stem capable of translational movement with respect to the main stem, the first end and the second end together defining a longitudinal axis of deformation. What is meant by“axis of deformation” is the axis of lengthening and/or shortening.

[0025] The core of the applicator member comprises a plurality of elastic cells

arranged in parallel transversely to the longitudinal axis of deformation, forming a level of elasticity, and said elastic member comprising a plurality of levels of elasticity (... , N-1 , N, N+1 , ...) superposed along said longitudinal axis (X).

[0026] According to the invention, the level of elasticity (N) comprises an upper

corrugated transverse band with multiple corrugations and a lower corrugated transverse band with multiple corrugations, these bands being arranged relative to one another in such a way that said upper and lower corrugated transverse bands are in contact at several points of contact (P) distributed along the transverse bands, an elastic cell (C) being defined between two adjacent points of contact (P) of said level of elasticity (N). What is meant by“upper” and“lower” is the positioning along the axis of deformation from the proximal (bottom) end toward the distal (top) end.

[0027] More specifically, the applicator member is produced from a spring similar to the one described in documents FR2956649A1 and WO2018126397, which spring is notably used to operate a pump. This is because it has, surprisingly, become apparent that such a spring could be used to create a

lengthenable/retractable applicator. [0028] Although the aforementioned documents relate to a cylindrical spring, such a configuration can also be used for a substantially planar applicator member, notably for creating a planar lengthenable/retractable brush or comb. Quite obviously, the applicator member may retain a cylindrical structure so as to create a make up brush and, in particular, a mascara brush exhibiting symmetry of revolution, the elastic cells then being arranged around the axis of deformation.

[0029] Thus, by using such a structure to create the core of the applicator member, a far more considerable surface area on which to install spikes and other

application elements becomes available. What is more, the radial separation with respect to the axis of deformation does not vary along the length of the applicator member. The load of cosmetic product loaded onto the applicator also remains optimized.

[0030] According to one particular embodiment, the upper corrugated transverse band of one level of elasticity (N) forms the lower corrugated transverse band of the level of elasticity positioned directly above (N+1 ), and the lower corrugated transverse band of said level of elasticity (N) forms the upper corrugated transverse band of the level of elasticity located directly beneath (N-1 ).

[0031 ] According to one preferred embodiment, the points of contact of one level of elasticity (N) are offset with respect to the points of contact of the levels of elasticity directly above (N+1 ) and directly beneath (N-1 ), a point of contact of the level of elasticity (N) in particular being positioned in the middle of two points of contact of the level of elasticity directly above (N+1 ) and in the middle of two points of contact of the level of elasticity directly beneath (N-1 ).

[0032] Preferentially, the corrugated transverse bands have linear corrugations. More specifically, the cells of elasticity have a deformable lozenge shape. The spring thus generally comprises a collection of deformable parallelograms.

[0033] Preferentially, an interior surface of the core, namely an opposite surface to an application surface bearing any application elements there might be and that is intended to come in contact with the bodily surface that is to be made up, is in sliding contact, preferably sealed sliding contact, with a corresponding external surface of the secondary stem. This limits the possibility of the mascara product notably fouling the secondary stem. Ideally, the secondary stem will also be in sealed sliding contact with the main stem.

[0034] According to one particularly preferred embodiment, the core forms a sleeve, the transverse bands being annuli.

[0035] Advantageously, the core bears a collection of projecting application

elements, of the spike or tooth type, preferably extending in a direction

substantially normal to the core. Preferentially, at least some of the projecting application elements are situated on at least some of the points of contact of the corrugated transverse bands.

[0036] The core is preferentially made from a thermoplastic material, particularly from a thermoplastic elastomer. The applicator member may notably be produced as a single piece by injection molding.

[0037] Conventionally, the member for grasping comprises an element for controlling the movement of the secondary stem with respect to the main stem, this control element preferentially being capable of translational movement. It may

advantageously be a notched sliding finger tab, the user being easily able to move the finger tab with a single finger while using the applicator. Indeed, rotary control elements as described in document US2012012131A1 require the user to use both hands in order to turn the control element.

[0038] The present application also relates to an assembly for packaging and

applying a cosmetic product, in particular a mascara, comprising, on the one hand, an applicator according to the invention and, on the other hand, a container intended to contain said cosmetic product and a free edge of which delimits an opening, said opening preferably being fitted with a wiping device, the applicator being able to move between a withdrawing configuration in which the applicator member is situated inside the container and is able to become loaded with cosmetic product, and an application configuration in which the applicator member is extracted from the container and able to be brought into contact with the body surface that is to be made up.

[0039] Advantageously, the applicator comprises a member for gripping that also forms a cap that is able to close the container in a removable manner, the applicator member being situated inside the reservoir when the cap is in the closing position.

[0040] The invention may be better understood on reading the following description accompanied with nonlimiting implementation examples thereof with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[Fig. 1 ] is a schematic depiction of an applicator according to the invention comprising an applicator member in the extended configuration

[Fig. 2] is a schematic depiction of the applicator of figure 1 , of which the applicator member is in the shortened configuration

[Fig 3] is an enlarged view of the structure of the application member of figures 1 and 2.

[0041 ] As depicted in figures 1 and 2, an applicator 1 according to the invention

comprises a member 10 for gripping and an applicator member 20 connected by a main stem 30 made of a thermoplastic material. The main stem 30 is rectilinear.

[0042] This applicator 1 is notably intended to be used in a packaging and

application assembly with a container intended to contain the cosmetic product that is to be applied, for example a mascara. Conventionally, the container has a free upper edge forming a neck that delimits an opening. A wiping device is disposed inside the neck.

[0043] The member for grasping 10 forms a cap that is able to close the container in a removable manner, the applicator member 20 being situated inside the reservoir when the cap is in the closing position. To this end, the member for grasping 10 has an internal thread that is able to cooperate with an external thread on the neck.

[0044] The main stem 30 is rectilinear and hollow. The main stem 30 houses a

secondary stem mounted with the ability to move translationally inside the main stem 30 and able to project from said main stem 30 at an open end thereof, with a length that is greater or lesser according to the amount of sliding.

[0045] The extension or retraction of the secondary stem inside the main stem 30 is achieved by means of a control element 11 of the member for grasping 10. The control is had by translational movement of the control element 11 , which takes the form of a sliding finger tab, in a substantially longitudinal direction of the main stem 30. The control element 11 may be kept in various positions corresponding to various positions of extension of the secondary stem outside of the main stem 30, using locking notches.

[0046] According to the present application, the applicator member 20 has a core 21 , forming a sleeve of which a first end 22, referred to as the proximal end, is fixed to the main stem 30 and an opposite second end 23, referred to as the distal end, is fixed to the secondary stem 31 capable of translational movement with respect to the main stem 30. The first end 22 and the second end 23 together define a longitudinal axis of deformation along which the application member 20 is able to extend or shorten according to the movement of the secondary stem with respect to the main stem 30.

[0047] In particular, the proximal first end 22 is fixed to the opposite end of the main stem 30 to the member for grasping. The distal second end 23 is fixed to a free end of the secondary stem 31.

[0048] The dimensions of the main stem 30, of the secondary stem 31 and of the sleeve that forms the core 21 of the applicator member 20 are determined in such a way as to ensure sealed sliding contact between these elements so as to avoid as far as possible any fouling of the components that slide relative to one another.

[0049] As explained previously, the core 21 of the applicator member 20 generally has the structure of the elastic element described for a pump in document FR2956649A1 , the description of which is incorporated by reference.

[0050] More specifically, the core 21 is produced by injection molding in a

thermoplastic elastomer such as SEBS or Hytrel® and comprises a plurality of elastic cells (C) arranged in parallel around the longitudinal axis of deformation (X). The elastic cells form a level of elasticity (N), the core 21 comprising a plurality of levels of elasticity (... N-1 , N, N+1 , ...) superposed along said longitudinal axis of deformation (X).

[0051 ] Each level of elasticity (N) comprises an upper corrugated annulus 25 with multiple corrugations and a lower corrugated annulus 26 with multiple

corrugations, these being arranged relative to one another in such a way that said upper and lower corrugated annuli 25, 26 are in contact at several points of contact (P) around the longitudinal axis of deformation (X), an elastic cell (C) being defined between two adjacent points of contact (P) of said level of elasticity (N).

[0052] Furthermore, the upper corrugated annuli 25 of one level of elasticity (N) form the lower corrugated annuli 26 of the level of elasticity positioned directly above (N+1 ), and vice versa.

[0053] The points of contact (P) are offset with respect to the points of contact of the levels of elasticity directly above (N+1 ) and directly beneath (N-1 ), a point of contact of the level of elasticity (N) in particular being positioned in the middle of two points of contact of the level of elasticity directly above (N+1 ) and in the middle of two points of contact of the level of elasticity directly beneath (N-1 ).

[0054] In this way, the cells of elasticity are lozenge-shaped openings arranged in a roughly staggered configuration along and around the longitudinal axis of deformation, the cells forming deformable parallelograms making the core 21 and, therefore, the applicator member, compressible and/or lengthenable.

[0055] In addition, the application member 20 comprises a collection of application elements 28 extending radially from the core. The additional application elements 28 notably take the form of spikes or teeth, of tapering, substantially conical, shape. Preferentially, the additional application elements 28 are integrally molded with the core 23. As depicted, the additional application elements 28 are situated on the points of contact (P) of the corrugated annuli.

[0056] The extension or the retraction of the applicator member 20 is brought about by a control element 11 belonging to the member for gripping. In this particular instance, the control element 11 takes the form of a lateral finger tab able to slide in a longitudinal direction of the member for gripping and of the main stem 30.

The control element 11 has a textured surface forming a grip.

[0057] The user modifies the length using a finger, notably her thumb, to move the control element 11. When the user draws back the control element 11 and moves it away from the main stem, the secondary stem moves translationally inside said main stem in the same direction, and this shortens the distance between the end of the main stem and the end of the secondary stem and the contraction of the applicator member. Conversely, when the user pushes on the control element 11 , in order to move it towards the main stem, the secondary stem moves

translationally in the same direction and is deployed still further out of the main stem. The end of the main stem and the end of the secondary stem moves apart, and this lengthens the applicator member. The control element 11 and the secondary stem can be locked in position using a system of notches. Several positions, and notably a plurality of intermediate positions, may be provided.

[0058] Quite obviously, other control systems, notably such as those described in the cited documents, are conceivable.