The invention concerns a cosmetic applicator according to the preamble of claim 1.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Internally the applicant has already given thought to the question to use a standard metallic coil spring as a cosmetic applicator element which allows to store plenty of cosmetic mass inside.

However it has turned out that a standard metallic coil is not appropriate to grant a proper application behaviour. This is since the metallic surface of the coil is coated rather uniformly by cosmetic mass so that such an applicator does not allow to clearly define where the area treated with the cosmetics ends. Moreover such a metallic coil is too stiff.

The same applies to the idea to use plastic coils with a coil wire being thick enough in order to make the coil sufficiently stable .

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to make an applicator available that is able to store an increased amount of the cosmetic mass which can be squeezed out without problems in order to make it available during a running application procedure while the said applicator allows a precise application with well-defined separation lines. THE INVENTIVE SOLUTION

According to the invention it is proposed to solve the problem underlaying the invention by means of an applicator device that consists of a guiding element and a coil spring element. The guiding element is positioned in the central area of the coil spring element. The coil spring element is winding more than one time completely around the guiding element. According to the invention the coil spring element carries spikes protruding in outward direction from the coil spring element.

As long as the coil spring element is not biased and displaced by forces occurring under application it is distant from the core. The interspace between the interior jacket area of the coil spring element and the outer jacket area of the guiding element forms an increased reservoir for the cosmetic mass which remains sticking to the applicator when being pulled out of the reservoir through the wiper in its bottle neck. An important point is that the tubular wiper being preferably used for such applicators is not able to substantially displace the windings of the coil spring element in radial direction - this is since the coil spring element is supported at all its sides by the said wiper so that it could only be compressed symmetrically but not be displaced in radial direction locally / asymmetrically. That way the wiper is not able to wipe of too much of the cosmetics stored in the intermediate space between the spring element and the guiding element .

During the application the coil spring element is not supported at all sides along its whole circumference. If the coil spring element is designed appropriate it can now be locally deformed by pressing it against the surface to be treated. That way a smaller or bigger amount of the stored cosmetic mass will be squeezed out through the interspaces of the neighbored windings in direction toward the surface to be treated. Hereby the guiding element plays an important role since it hinders the cosmetic mass to be displaced in direction opposite to the portion of the coil spring element that is actually going to be deformed an pressed in radial inward direction. Such a displacement is unintended since it reduced the amount of cosmetic mass going to be squeezed out in direction toward the surface to be treated.

Moreover the guiding element allows to design the coil spring element soft since it hinders every excessive local deformation of the coil spring element which could cause a smudging application behavior of the applicator since too much of the stored cosmetic mass has been squeezed out at one time.

It has turned out as an important improvement that the coil spring element carries spikes protruding in outward direction. After each local compression of the coil spring element the spikes protrude out of the film of newly squeezed out cosmetic mass which coats the coil spring element as such. That way the spikes form spacers between the said film of cosmetic mass and the surface or fiber to be treated which allow at any time a precise application without a blurred smudging area.

OPTIONS FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Preferably the coil spring element has a number of windings that continuously turn around the guiding element without being itself or by means of a strut in contact with the guiding element.

That way, it is made sure that the coil spring element is not to stiff, so that the coil spring element can be displaced under impact of regular application forces. In most cases the distance ("free air space") between the innermost jacket surface of each turn of the coil spring element and of the outer jacket of the guiding element radially below it is constant - fully or essentially. That guarantees a uniform application behavior.

Preferably the guiding element is arranged in a centered position within the coil spring element. That way the application properties of the applicator are symmetrical which makes the application more convenient and fail safe - the applicant needs not to pay attention how he turns the applicator around its longitudinal axis before bringing it into contact with the skin, lashes or hairs to be treated.

It is preferred that the windings of the coil spring element are continuously curved from the very beginning to the outer end. That way edges, steps or kinks within the coil spring are avoided which would deteriorate the uniformity of the application result.

According to the invention it is preferably provided that the coil spring element is elastic such that a number of its turns can be brought into contact with the circumferential jacket surface of the guiding element by means of fully reversible elastic deformation. That way the interspace formed between the coil spring element and the jacket of the guiding element can be exploited perfectly. Nearly all of the cosmetic mass deposited in the said interspace can be squeezed out in direction toward the actual application area by bringing the local winding of the coil spring element in contact with the jacket of the guiding element.

In most cases it is provided that the beginning and the end of the coil spring element (and ideally only the beginning and the end of the coil spring element) are anchored on the guiding element, preferably on the circumferential jacket of the guiding element and ideally by means of a radially extending interconnection strut.

As soon as the layout of coil spring element awards a sufficient elasticity to the coil spring element in axial direction it becomes that way possible to move local portions of the coil spring element back and forth in axial direction, for example under the influence of scrubbing over the skin to be treated. That awards a novel application behavior an influences the amount of mass which can be squeezed out.

It is highly preferred to manufacture the coil spring element of polymer material, which forms the majority of or at least the essential part of the coil spring element to award the necessary elasticity to it. In this case the preferred manufacturing method is an additive manufacturing method.

Ideally the coil spring element including its spikes and the guiding element are made as an integral "one-piece-part" without any joints between them. That is the matter of choice to provide filigree structures that are so soft, so elastic and so "break-proof" as it is required for reaching the inventive effect taught before.

Ideally the coil spring element and the guiding element are made of the same material.

It has turned out as an advantage if the average diameter of the guiding element is at least ten times bigger than the average diameter of the "wire" of the coil spring element. Normally the guiding element does not or essentially not bend under the influence of the forces exerted to deform the coil spring element during application.

A preferred layout provides that the guide element has a barrel-like shape with a smaller diameter in the beginning and at the end. Ideally the coil spring element has shape following the shape of the guide element, preferably a barrel- like shape with a smaller diameter in the beginning and at the end .

In other cases the guide element may have the following shape: A non-symmetrical shape between the beginning and the end of the core.

It is highly preferred that the coil spring element carries spikes in the shape of bristles, or even better since being more stable, in the shape of chisel tips. The spikes extend in outward direction from the spring element. It is preferred if the said direction is a full or an essentially full radial outward direction.

For avoiding that the applicator is too prone to smudging it can be important that the spring element carries over at least the major part of its length preferably of its entire length spikes. The spikes are ideally arranged in a repeating identical pattern. It is worth to pay attention that directly neighbored spikes are not too distant from each other. Otherwise they cannot or not sufficiently act as spacers as explained before. The said distance should ideally not be bigger than more of 5 times (in particular if the spikes are long but elastically deformable bristles) or at least not be more than 2,5 times bigger (if the spikes are rigid but not very high) than the extension of the spike in its root area.

It is highly preferred, nearly mandatory, that the spikes are integrally formed together with the coil spring element. LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 shows a general view of a preferred embodiment.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the proximal end of the embodiment according to Figure 1, close to the transition into the coupler.

Figure 4 shows the distal end of the embodiment according to Figure 1, close to the free tip of the applicator.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 is showing a complete view of the preferred embodiment of the cosmetics applicator 1. The cosmetic applicator shown here is used as a mascara applicator. It is designed accordingly.

It comprises a guiding element 2 in the shape of a core.

The guiding element 2 has a longitudinal axis L. According to this preferred embodiment the said core integrally transitions into a coupling element 3, along its longitudinal axis. The coupling element 3 makes it possible to couple the applicator 1 to a stem of a handle which is not shown here. As an alternative it is an option that the said core is integral with the stem itself. This is not shown here, too.

Preferably the guiding element 2 has a fully or essentially round cross-section. It is preferred that the diameter of the guiding element 2 increases from both ends toward the middle of the guiding element 2. Preferably the said increase is a steady increase. In this particular case shown here the guiding element 2 has a barrel-like shape. That is convenient since the user does not need to control the orientation of the applicator all time, since the application behaviour is all the same in circumferential direction.

As can be clearly seen the guiding element 2 carries a coil spring-element 4.

The coil-spring-element 4 forms a continuous spiral, i. e. a kind of helical "wire". The spiral preferably winds more than 10 times completely around the guiding element 2. As can be best seen from figures 3 and 4 the coil-spring-element 4 processes only at the outer ends of its spiral fixing portions 6 which form an interconnection with the guiding element 2. For that purpose the said fixing portions 6 are preferably embodied as struts radially extending in inward direction. Ideally the said struts are integral as well with the spiral as with the guiding element 2.

It is highly preferred that the outer diameter of the spiral as a whole pictures the diameter of the guiding element 2. With other words if the diameter of the guiding element 2 increases, the outer diameter of the spiral as a whole increases, too. In this particular case the said increase awards a barrel-like profile to the spiral as a whole, too. This has the advantage that the applicator does not automatically come into contact with the surface to be treated along its whole length. Instead such a contacting along the whole length takes only place if the applicator is pressed onto the surface to be treated - so that the middle portion of the spiral is deformed in radial inward direction. That way the applicant can choose freely whether she wants to apply more punctually or whether she wants to "think big", that means to apply over a longer area. In most cases the spiral as the guiding element 2 consists from polymer material. Normally the material of the spiral and the material of the guiding element 2 is identical. In this case the spiral and the guiding element 2 form one integral and monolithic part with no joint separating them from each other .

According to the invention it is highly recommended that the diameter DS of the spiral itself (that means of its "wire") is everywhere smaller than the diameter DG of the guiding element 2. In most cases the relation DS / DG is strictly smaller than 7, preferably strictly smaller than 10.

In most cases the free distance FD (seen in longitudinal direction) between one spiral and the directly neighbouring next spiral of the core-spring-element is more than 1.5 that are more than 2,5 times of the diameter DS of the spiral.

The spiral itself (that means its wire) has preferably at least a semi-round cross section with a flattened internal surface or sometimes a fully round cross section.

The coil-spring-element carries spikes 5. The said spikes 5 have here the form of a chisel tip. Ideally the extension of each search chisel tip along the circumference of the spiral is at least 4 times bigger, than the extension of the said chisel tip perpendicularly, that means essentially in longitudinal direction of the guiding element, too.

In most cases the said spikes 5 are positioned in longitudinal direction as a single row - one, after another along a helical line defined by the spiral of the coil spring element.

The distance DIF between the inner surface of the spiral and the below positioned jacket of the guiding element to is normally bigger than 1/4 of the diameter DG of the guiding element, too.

That way the spiral becomes very elastic.

Even the rather small forces - as they may occur during lash treatment - are sufficient in order to displace a local portion of the spiral essentially. However, it is the guiding element 2 which makes sure that the said displacement does not become too extreme. Since the free space between the spiral and the guiding element 2 serves - in particular in case of a mascara applicator, but not limited to it - as a store for cosmetic mass it is rather easy to make a rather high quantity of fresh cosmetic mass accessible during application - without dipping the applicator again before.

As soon as the spiral is locally displaced in radial inward direction under the influence of the forces occurring during lash treatment a part of the stored cosmetic mass is squeezed out through the free interspaces between the windings of the spiral and can now be freely applied by the user.

At this occasion the spikes make sure that plenty of the cosmetic mass coating the spiral now can be distributed and applied precisely.

Additional protection is sought for a cosmetic unit comprising a cosmetic applicator according to the invention and a cosmetic container with a bottle neck and a wiper therein. The wiper has a tubular shape contacting the coil spring element of the applicator during pullout that way that the coil spring element undergoes only such a radial compressing force that is symmetric. According to the invention the coil spring element is designed that way that it withstands the symmetric radial compressive force. At the same time it is designed that way that it deforms and evades under the influence of an only local radial compressing force that acts at one side of the circumference only.

Further design possibilities, technical effects and advantages become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment shown by the figures.

MISCELLANEOUS

What is claimed in addition and independently is the use of a cosmetic applicator according to the invention claimed as a mascara applicator for lash cosmetics.

What is claimed in addition and independently is the use of a cosmetic applicator according to the invention claimed as a massage applicator for lip cosmetics or anti-aging serum.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Applicator

2 Guiding element

3 Coupler or coupling element

4 coil spring element

5 spike

6 fixing portion (for example strut)

L longitudinal axis

DG diameter of the guiding element

DS diameter of the spiral itself (of its "wire")

DIF distance between two directly neighboured windings of the spiral, seen in longitudinal direction