Numerous applicators comprise a stem which is provided at one end with a member for holding and at the other end with an applicator member.

Depending on the human keratinous materials that are to be treated, the applicator member may be constituted of a brush or of a comb, a felt tip, or a flocked or capillary tip, amongst other examples. Conventionally, the applicator member may be mounted on the stem prior to a possible treatment aimed at modifying its properties, for example, in the case of a twisted brush, a trimming treatment aimed at creating, on the brush, faces of a shape suited to the makeup application to be performed.

The treatment may even also consist, in the case of a twisted brush, in curving the, initially rectilinear, core so as to give the brush a curved shape.

Likewise, it may prove advantageous to have a stem which has a non- rectilinear longitudinal axis so as, for example, to improve the ergonomics of the applicator or more generally change the characteristics thereof.

The presence of curvature in the stem may make the treatment performed on the applicator member once the latter has been mounted on the stem more complicated if not to say impossible.

The invention seeks to overcome this problem and achieves this by virtue of a method for manufacturing an applicator comprising a stem provided with an applicator member, comprising the steps consisting in:

a) mounting the applicator member on an initial component partially constituting the stem and having a more flexible part,

b) deforming the more flexible part and keeping it permanently in the deformed state by an addition of material to the said part, notably all around the latter.

The fact that the initial component may have a rectilinear shape, when the applicator member is already mounted thereon, makes the applicator member easier to handle and it can be subjected to complex treatments using the initial component as a support. Thereafter, the stem can be given the desired non-rectilinear shape without this shape having interfered, during the manufacture of the applicator, with the treatment of the applicator member.

The applicator member may be subjected to a treatment while it is held by the initial component prior to step b).

The applicator member is preferably a twisted brush. The treatment may modify the shape of the envelope surface of the brush and/or render the longitudinal axis of the core of the brush non-rectilinear, the treatment preferably being a machining of the bristles of the brush. The invention makes it easier to angularly situate the treatment performed on the applicator member with respect to the curvature given to the stem.

The addition of material is preferably performed by overmoulding. The material added by overmoulding may be the same as the material of which the initial component is made prior to step b), or as an alternative, the overmoulded material is different from the material of which the more flexible part is made.

The more flexible part is preferably more slender than the rest of the initial component, and this makes it possible, after overmoulding, not to create a visible overthickness, if so desired.

The method may comprise, prior to step a), the moulding of the initial component with the more flexible part.

According to another of its aspects, a further subject of the invention is an applicator that can be obtained by implementing the method as defined hereinabove, comprising a stem having a proximal part to be fixed into a member for holding, a distal part for accepting an applicator member, the longitudinal axis of the stem being non- rectilinear and the applicator member having undergone a shaping treatment, notably a cutting treatment and/or a twisting of the core in the case of a twisted brush.

According to another of its aspects, a further subject of the invention is an applicator that can be obtained by implementing the method defined above, comprising a stem having a proximal part to be fixed into a member for holding, a distal part for accepting an applicator member and an intermediate part, positioned between the proximal part and the distal part, surrounded by a retaining part added to the intermediate part, notably by overmoulding, the longitudinal axis of the stem being non-rectilinear as a result of a curvature at the intermediate part. The applicator member is preferably a twisted brush. This brush may have an envelope surface that does not exhibit symmetry of revolution and/or the core of which has a non-rectilinear longitudinal axis. It is possible for the brush to be asymmetric with respect to its longitudinal axis when this axis is rendered rectilinear, where appropriate, for the purposes of observation.

A further subject of the invention is a packaging and application device that comprises:

a container containing the cosmetic product to be applied, an applicator according to the invention.

The invention may be better understood from reading the detailed description which will follow, of one nonlimiting exemplary embodiment thereof, and from studying the attached drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation with partial longitudinal section of one example of a packaging and application device produced in accordance with the invention,

- Figures 2-6 illustrate various steps in the manufacture of an applicator according to the invention,

Figure 7 is a cross section on VII-VII of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a cross section on VIII- VIII of Figure 3.

The packaging and application device 1 depicted in Figure 1 comprises a container 10 containing a product P to be applied, preferably a cosmetic product, for example make up or a beauty care product, and an applicator 20 which, in the example in question, can be mounted on the container 10 when the applicator is not in use, so as to close this container.

The applicator 20 comprises a member 21 for holding which also constitutes a cap for sealed closure of the container 10, an applicator member 22 and a stem 23 connecting the applicator member 22 to the member 21 for holding.

The container comprises for example a threaded neck, not visible in Figure 1 , to which the member 21 for holding can be fixed.

The container 10 may also comprise a wringer 12, in the way known per se, to wipe the stem 23 of the applicator and the applicator member 22 as the latter is withdrawn from the container 10. In the example illustrated, the device 1 has a longitudinal axis X that is rectilinear, but other shapes of container 10 are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

According to the invention, the stem 23 is produced with a body 30 connected by a flexible part 31 to a terminal part 32 designed to allow the applicator member 22 to be attached to the stem 23.

The initial component constituted by the body 30, the flexible part 31 and the terminal part 32 is produced by moulding a thermoplastic with a rectilinear longitudinal axis Y, as illustrated in Figure 2.

The body 30 may be produced at the proximal end with a relief 34 that makes it easier to fix to the member 21 for holding, this relief 34 being, for example, in the form of two diametrically opposed notches made on the cylindrical surface of revolution of axis Y of the body 30.

In this particular instance, the flexible part 31 is made from the same thermoplastic material as the rest of the body 30. The flexibility of the flexible part 31 is afforded by a reduced thickness of the said flexible part with respect to the rest of the body 30. The reduced thickness may be the same in all directions or not the same, depending on the desired direction or directions of bending.

The flexible part 31 has, for example, in cross section, a flattened shape, with symmetry of axis Y, of largest transverse dimension m and thickness t, the largest transverse dimension m being less than the outside diameter D of the body 30. For example 0.15 < m/t < 1 and 0.16 < D/m < 0.95.

The invention is not restricted to any particular cross section for the flexible part 31 and the latter may notably be given an asymmetric shape of axis Y, a circular shape, or a polygonal shape of axis Y. A flattened shape may encourage the flexible part to deform about an axis parallel to the long side of the cross section.

The terminal part 32 is, for example, as illustrated, made with a cylindrical shape exhibiting symmetry of revolution of axis Y, equipped at the end with a chamfer 35, although other shapes are possible.

The terminal part 32 may be hollowed out inside so as to define a housing to accept a mounting end piece of the applicator member 22, for example the end of a twisted core in the case of a mascara brush comprising such a core, with turns trapping the bristles between them.

The component depicted in Figure 2 is, for example, moulded from a polyolefm or from PBT, POM, PCTA or the like.

The flexible part 31 may extend over a distance / which for example represents between 1/8 and 2/3 of the total length L of the stem 23. Thus, the subsequent addition of material remains limited.

For preference, as illustrated, the flexible part 31 is situated a shorter distance from the distal end 36 of the stem 23 than from the proximal end 37 thereof. In particular, the flexible part 31 can be situated entirely in the distal half of the stem 23.

For preference, the flexible part 31 is centred on the axis Y but in alternative forms that have not been illustrated, this flexible part 31 is off-centred.

In the example considered, the facing faces of the body 30 and of the terminal part 32 are planar and perpendicular to the axis Y. As an alternative, these faces are produced with other shapes .

Once the initial component of Figure 2 has been produced it can be equipped as illustrated in Figure 3 with the applicator member 22 in its rough form 40. This is, for example, a twisted brush 41, with the twisted core trapping bristles, having an envelope surface E of cylindro-conical shape exhibiting symmetry of revolution about the axis Y. For example, the rough form 40 has a portion 42 which is cylindrical with symmetry of revolution Y, extended at its proximal and distal ends by respective frustoconical portions 43 and 44. The assembly constituted by the initial component fitted with the rough form of the brush 40 may undergo various treatments aimed at modifying the shape of the rough form 40 and, for example, consisting in machining facets, crests, grooves and/or slots into it to give it the desired shape.

Thus, in the example being considered, the rough form 40 is machined as illustrated in Figure 4 to give it a shape that does not exhibit symmetry of revolution about the axis Y having for example a generally flattened cross-sectional shape, although the invention is not restricted to any particular treatment or to any particular shape of applicator member.

It is also possible, as illustrated in Figure 5, to curve the core 41 of the brush, for example with a non-zero angle β between the axis Z of the terminal part 32 and the axis W of the distal part of the brush. The presence of the flexible part 31 allows the angle between the axis K of the body 30 of the initial component and the axis Z of the terminal part 32 to be modified so as, for example, as illustrated, to incline the terminal part 32 by an angle a with respect to the axis K, this inclination taking place about an axis of curvature which, in the example considered, is perpendicular to the plane of Figure 5 and parallel to the plane of flattening of the flexible part 31.

The steps of possible curving of the core of the brush and of possible curving of the flexible part 31 may be performed when the initial component equipped with the treated applicator member is placed in a mould. It is thus easy to curve the brush in the same plane as the flexible part 31. The deformation given to the core may thus be identified with respect to that given to the stem. As an alternative, the core of the brush can be curved first of all and then the flexible part 31 of the initial component deformed when it is put in place in the mould.

It is also possible to deform the flexible part 31 first of all and then deform the core of the brush.

In an alternative form, the core of the brush maintains its initial shape while only the flexible part 31 is deformed.

The initial component with the deformed flexible part 31, placed in a suitable mould, is overmoulded with a retaining portion 60 which, in the example illustrated, has an exterior surface that is inscribed inside the continuation of that of the body 30 and of the terminal part 32. In the example considered, this retaining portion 60 is circular in cross section, just like the adjacent ends of the body 30 and of the terminal part 32, and has the same outside diameter.

The retaining portion 60 which is overmoulded onto the flexible part 31 may be made from the same material as the flexible part 31 or from a different material, so as to create an additional aesthetic effect. It may notably be advantageous for the melting point of the overmoulded material to be lower than that of the flexible part 31, so that the latter remains intact and so that there is no increase in the risk of altering the surface appearance of the body 30 and of the terminal part 32.

The retaining portion 60 is for example made of PP.

Once the retaining portion 60 has been overmoulded, the stem 23 equipped with the applicator member can be put in place in the member 21 for holding in the conventional way. As an alternative, the member for holding is produced with the stem or put in place on the initial component prior to the overmoulding of the retaining portion 60.

The invention is not limited to the example which has just been described.

In particular, the applicator member 22 may be constituted by any kind of brush, notably brushes obtained by treating a rough form the properties of which may be diverse.

The treatment may consist of a cutting of bristles but may also consist of a treatment involving local melting of the bristles, grinding and/or abrading of the ends of the bristles.

The applicator member may even be constituted by a brush or comb made of thermoplastic.

In an alternative form, the applicator member undergoes no treatment between being fitted to the initial component and the overmoulding of the retaining portion 60 on the flexible part 31.

The flexible part 31 may be produced in various ways and notably with apertures aimed for example at improving the anchorage of the overmoulded material to the flexible part 31 and/or at making it even easier for the flexible part 31 to be deformed.

The applicator member 22 may be a brush made entirely of thermoplastic. The applicator member 22 may even be something other than a brush or a comb intended for applying make up to or caring for human keratinous fibres. It may for example be a tip intended for applying make up to or caring for the lips or the skin, notably the eyelids.

The application and packaging device 10 may be other than the type comprising an applicator immersed in the container when not in use and extracted using a member for holding. It may for example be an applicator which remains attached to the container containing the product to be applied at the time of use so as to apply the product to human keratinous materials. It may even be an applicator intended to be loaded by being brought into contact with a block of product.

For preference, the initial component is produced in such a way that when the body 30 is immobilized and finger pressure is applied to the terminal part 32, at right angles to the axis Y, in order to displace the latter laterally by 3 mm, only the flexible part 31 visibly deforms. The expression "comprising a" is to be understood as being synonymous with "comprising at least one".