Field of application of the invention

The present invention regards the devices employable in the field of cosmetics for the application of a liquid or semiliquid substance on a part of the body. More precisely, the present invention refers to a method for obtaining a "fanlike" brush, using which it is possible to spread a small amount of polish on a nail. By "fan-like" brush it is intended a brush whose hairs diverge, starting from the handle, in a manner so as to assume a configuration whose shape recalls that of fan.

In the following present description, with the expression "brush for nails" it is intended to identify a brush whose profile formed by the free end of the hairs (i.e. the end opposite the handle) has size sufficiently reduced so as to allow the application of a cosmetic substance on nails, in a manner such that said substance does not go beyond the edges of the ungual lamina.

In the following present description, in order to facilitate the description, with the term "brush" reference will be made to a brush for nails.

Review of the prior art

The brushes for nails comprise a handle, usually rectilinear, connected at a first end to a closure cap of a container containing a liquid or semiliquid cosmetic substance to be applied on the nails. The handle is also connected, at a second end opposite the first end, to a multiplicity of hairs immersible in the cosmetic substance in order to draw a small quantity thereof from the container and subsequently spread it on the nail to be treated.

The connection between the hairs and the handle, due to the reduced cross section of the latter, is not obtained by means of a ring nut (as instead occurs in the brushes employed in other fields) but by means of a U-shaped metal bracket. In particular, each hair is folded in half on itself, in a manner so that it assumes a preferably V-shaped configuration. The hairs thus folded are grouped in a bunch in a manner such that the vertices of the Vs are at a same end of the bunch, and the free ends of the Vs are at the other end. The bunch of hairs is taken/grasped by the U-shaped bracket, i.e. the latter is inserted in the bunch in a manner so as to link the hairs (in other words, each hair is arranged astride the bracket such that the U-shaped concavity is opposite the concavities of the Vs). The vertices of the Vs are at the base of the U. The bunch of hairs, together with the bracket and starting therefrom, is inserted in a suitable seat obtained - longitudinally in the handle - starting from said second end of the handle. The arms of the bracket are longitudinally driven into the handle so as to press the vertices of the Vs against the closed end of said seat. This achieves a connection between the hairs and the handle of the brush. The seat has a depth such that the hairs penetrate the handle for a short section, and has a cross section such to tightly press the hairs against each other.

Given that the hairs are pressed against each other at the section thereof arranged inside the seat, it is the form of the latter to determine the configuration assumed by the bunch of hairs and consequently the form of the bunch. In particular, depending on the form of the bunch of hairs, the nail brushes can be, by way of example: "round" (if the seat, and consequently the bunch of hairs, have nearly cylindrical form), "flaf (if the seat and the bunch of hairs have nearly prismatic form with rectangular or elliptical section) or "fanlike" (if the seat and the bunch of hairs have nearly frustoconical form).

The fan-like brushes are usually preferred to the round brushes and to the flat brushes since they allow spreading the cosmetic substance on a nail in a uni- form manner with greater precision and with a smaller number of sweeps/passes with respect to the brushes of other types. The obtainment of a frustoconical seat in the handle of a brush requires however a more compli- cated process than that necessary for obtaining a cylindrical or prismatic seat. This ensures that the fan-like brushes have obtainment costs and times clearly greater than those of round and flat brushes.

Objects of the invention

Object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and to indicate a method for obtaining a fan-like brush which constitutes a simplification with respect to the current methods.

Summary of the invention

The subject of the present invention is a method for obtaining a fan-like brush including the steps of:

a) arranging a brush comprising:

• a plastically deformable handle (i.e. capable of being deformed in a permanent manner, without undergoing breakage and separation);

• a multiplicity of hairs;

· a seat obtained at one end of the handle for housing the hairs and the connection of the same to the handle,

the seat comprising a cavity accessible through an opening, the cavity being delimited by a base opposite the opening and by at least one side wall, the hairs penetrating the cavity, starting from the opening, at a first section thereof;

b) compressing the handle transversely with respect to the side wall and at a second section arranged at a predefined distance from the base, said compression having sufficient intensity for plastically deforming the handle, increasing the eccentricity of said opening,

said compression causing a flattening of the seat at least at said second section,

due to said flattening, the side wall assuming, at least at said second section, a conformation that is diverging starting from the base,

the multiplicity of hairs coming to be compressed by the deformed side wall so as to assume a conformation that is diverging starting from the base.

If the opening is circular, by "increasing the eccentricity of said opening" it is intended to deform the opening in a manner so as to cause it to diverge from the circular form, making it have, by way of example, nearly elliptical form.

If the opening is elliptical, by "increasing the eccentricity of said opening" it is intended to deform the opening in a manner so as to increase the ratio between the semi-distance between the foci of the ellipse and its main semiaxis.

If the opening is rectangular, by "increasing the eccentricity of said opening" it is intended to deform the opening in a manner so as to increase the ratio between the greater side and the distance between the greater sides.

If the opening is square, by "increasing the eccentricity of said opening" it is intended to deform the opening in a manner so as to cause it to diverge from the square form, causing it to have, by way of example, nearly rectangular form with the short sides curved.

Further innovative characteristics of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

According to one aspect of the invention, said second section is adjacent to the opening.

According to one aspect of the invention, said second section has a length preferably not greater than 2/3 the distance between the opening and the base, and still more preferably not greater than 1/3 the distance between the opening and the base.

According to another aspect of the invention wherein the handle comprises low- density polyethylene and the side wall has a thickness not greater than 2 mm, said compression is preferably not less than 0.3 N/mm ² , and still more preferably not less than 0.6 N/mm ² .

According to another aspect of the invention wherein the handle comprises high-density polyethylene and the side wall has a thickness not greater than 2 mm, said compression is preferably not less than 0.5 N/mm ² , and still more preferably not less than 1 N/mm ² .

According to another aspect of the invention wherein:

• the hairs are folded on themselves so as to assume a V-shaped configuration;

• the hairs are grouped in said multiplicity in a manner such that the vertices of the Vs are at the base of the seat and the concavities of the Vs are directed towards the opening of the seat;

• the brush comprises a bracket including at least one section linking said Vs, the linking section being integrally connected to the handle, the linking section being housed in the seat and being opposite the base thereof, the bracket integrally connecting the hairs to the handle;

said compression is obtained by applying a force directed transverse to a plan where the linking section lies.

By "section linking said Vs" it is intended that the hairs of the brush are astride said section.

According to another aspect of the invention wherein the bracket includes two arms integrally connected, at a respective end, to the linking section at the ends of the latter, the arms penetrating the handle so as to integrally connect the linking section to the handle;

said compression is obtained by applying a force directed transverse to a plane where the linking section and the arms lie.

According to another aspect of the invention, said compression is carried out under cold conditions, i.e. without preheating the handle of the brush or the tool that comes into contact with the handle, compressing it.

Brief description of the figures

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clearer from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof and from the enclosed drawings, given as merely exemplifying and non-limiting, in which:

- figure 1 shows, in plan view in schematic section and in cross section on the side of the free end of the hairs, a round brush arranged according to step a) of the method, object of the invention;

- figure 2 shows, in plan view in schematic section and in cross section on the side of the free end of the hairs, the brush of figure 1 at the end of step b) of the method, object of the invention.

Detailed description of several preferred embodiments of the invention

In the present description, in order to facilitate the exposition, reference is only made to a preferred embodiment of the method, object of the invention, for obtaining a nail brush of fan-like type. It must be clear that the described method is not limited to the aforesaid embodiment but can be actuated for obtaining a fan-like brush for any purpose, starting from a brush, for example round or flat, having a plastically deformable handle.

In the following present description, a figure may also be illustrated with S reference to elements not expressly illustrated in that figure but in other figures.

The scale and proportions of the various depicted elements do not necessary correspond to the actual scale and proportions.

The method, object of the invention, is articulated in two steps. The first step (previously indicated as step a) consists of arranging a nail brush like that0 shown, by way of example, in figure 1. In particular, figure 1 shows a brush 1 comprising a handle 2, preferably rectilinear and integrally connected, at a first end 3, to a closure cap 4 of a container (not shown in the figures) containing a liquid or semiliquid substance to be applied on the nails. By way of example, said substance is a cosmetic or medicinal substance. Among the liquid or S semiliquid cosmetic substances applicable on the nails, there are the polishes.

The handle 2 is also connected, at a second end 5 opposite the end 3, to a multiplicity of hairs 6 grouped in a bunch 7. The hairs 6 are immersible in said liquid or semiliquid substance for the purpose of drawing a small quantity of the same from said container and subsequently spreading it on the nail to be0 treated.

The connection of the hairs 6 to the handle 2 is obtained by means of a bracket 8, by way of example U-shaped. Preferably, the bracket 8 is nearly shaped as a clamp, i.e. it is obtained by folding, at the ends, a metal wire so as to obtain a Li- shaped element. The hairs 6 are folded on themselves in order to assume a5 preferably V-shaped configuration, and are grouped in the bunch 7 in a manner such that the vertices of the Vs are at one first end 9 of the bunch 7 and the free ends of the hairs 6 are at a second end 15 of the bunch 7 opposite the end 9. The bunch 7 is housed, at a section 10 adjacent to the end 9, in a cavity 11 obtained longitudinally in the handle 2 starting from the end 5. The cavity 11 is preferably cylindrical and is delimited by a base 12, a side wall 13 and by an opening 14 arrange at the end 5 of the handle 2 and through which the bunch 7 penetrates the cavity 11. The opening 14 is preferably circular and has the same diameter of the base 12. As is visible in figure 1 , the bunch 7 is arranged in a manner such that the end 9 is in contact with the base 12 of the cavity 1 1 and each portion of hair 6 corresponding with one arm of said Vs is arranged as nearly parallel to the handle 2. The bunch 7 is taken/grasped by the bracket 8, i.e. the latter is inserted in the bunch 7 in a manner so as to link the hairs 6 (in other words, each hair is arranged astride the bracket such that the concavity of the U is opposite the concavities of the Vs). The base of the U is thus opposite the end 9 of the bunch 7. The bracket 8 is housed in the cavity 11 at the base of the U and penetrates longitudinally and at least partially into handle 2, starting from the base 12, at the arms of the U. The base of the U is thus also opposite the base 12. Due to the penetration of the handle 2, the bracket 8 is integrally connected to the latter. The penetration of the handle 2 by the bracket 8 is also such that the latter presses the end 9 of the bunch 7 (and hence the vertices of the Vs of the hairs 6) against the base 12. This integrally connects the hairs 6 to the handle 2.

The cavity 11 therefore acts as a seat for housing and connecting the hairs 6 to the handle 2. The hairs 6 are housed in the cavity 1 1 in a manner such that the Vs are arranged next to each other or one inside the other, with the concavities directed towards the opening 14 and the vertices of the Vs at the section of cavity 11 interposed between the base of the U of the bracket 8 and the base 12 of the cavity 11 . In the section comprised between the base of the U of the bracket 8 and the opening 14, starting from the base of the U, the hairs 6 initially diverge such that the outermost hairs of the bunch 7 are in contact with the side wall 13. After having come into contact with the side wall 13, proceeding towards the opening 14, the hairs 6 are arranged parallel to the side wall 13 and hence longitudinally with respect to the handle 2. This is due to the fact that the cross section of the cavity 11 has a diameter such that the hairs 6, after having come into contact with the side wall 13, are tightly pressed against each other. The hairs 6 have a rigidity such that, at the section outside the handle 2, they are maintained nearly parallel to the handle 2 independent of the spatial orientation of the brush 1. Therefore, given that the opening 14 is preferably circular, the section of bunch 7 projecting from the handle 2 is nearly cylindrical. The brush 1 is therefore of "round" type. Given that the hairs 6 are pressed against each other in the cavity 11 , they tend to slightly diverge upon exiting from the cavity 11. This very slight divergence is however not sufficient to qualify a brush to be of "fan-like" type.

The connection of the hairs 6 to the handle 2 can be obtained by employing, as an alternative to the U-shaped bracket 8, an X-shaped bracket (not shown in the figures), i.e. a bracket comprising two arms crossed as an X joined, at a respective end, by a third preferably rectilinear section. By way of example, the X-shaped bracket is obtainable, by folding, at the ends, a metal wire so as to obtain a gamma Y shaped element with the ends of the X-crossed arms joined by a preferably rectilinear section. The connection of the X-shaped bracket to the handle 2 occurs in an analogous manner to that stated with regard to the bracket 8. In particular, the bunch 7 is taken/grasped by the X-shaped bracket, i.e. the latter is inserted in the bunch 7 in a manner so as to link the hairs 6. The section of the bracket which joins the X-crossed arms is thus opposite the end 9 of the bunch 7. The X-shaped bracket is housed in the cavity 11 at said joining section and at least partially penetrates into the handle 2, starting from the base 12, at the X-crossed arms. Said joining section of the X-shaped bracket is therefore also opposite the base 12. Due to the penetration of the handle 2, the X-shaped bracket is integrally connected to the latter. The penetration of the handle 2 by the X-shaped bracket is also such that the latter presses the end 9 of the bunch 7 (and hence the vertices of the Vs of the hairs 6) against the base 12. This integrally connects the hairs 6 to the handle 2. The hairs 6 are housed in the cavity 11 in a manner such that the Vs are arranged next to each other or one inside the other, with the concavities directed towards the opening 14 and the vertices of the Vs at the section of cavity 11 interposed between said section joining the X-shaped bracket and the base 12 of the cavity 11.

The connection of the hairs 6 to the handle 2 is also obtainable by employing, as an alternative to the U-shaped bracket 8 and to the X-shaped bracket, a preferably rectilinear bar (not shown in the figures). By way of example, said bar is a short section of metal wire. The connection of the bar to the handle 2 occurs in an analogous manner to that stated with regard to the bracket 8. In particular, the bunch 7 is taken/grasped by the bar, i.e. the latter is inserted in the bunch 7 in a manner such that the hairs 6 are astride the bar. The bar is thus opposite the end 9 of the bunch 7. The bar is also housed in the cavity 11 in proximity to the base 12 and transversely and partially penetrates into the handle 2 at the ends thereof. The bar is therefore also opposite the base 12. Due to said penetration, the bar is integrally connected to the handle 2. The depth where the bar lies in the cavity 11 is such that the bar presses the end 9 of the bunch 7 (and hence the vertices of the Vs of the hairs 6) against the base 12. This integrally connects the hairs 6 to the handle 2. The hairs 6 are housed in the cavity 11 in a manner such that the Vs are arranged next to each other or one inside the other, with the concavities directed towards the opening 14 and the vertices of the Vs at the section of cavity 11 interposed between the bar and the base 12 of the cavity 11.

The base of the U, the section joining the X-shaped bracket and said bar were previously also indicated with the expression "linking section".

The end 15 of the bunch 7 (opposite the cap 4) constitutes the profile of the brush 1 , by means of which the application of said liquid or semiliquid substance occurs on a nail.

By way of example: the cap 4 and the handle 2 are made of a plastically deformable material and preferably made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE); the hairs 7 are made of nylon and preferably Tynex® ; the bracket 8 is made of metal and preferably steel or aluminum.

The handle 2 is preferably cylindrical and the longitudinal symmetry axis of the cavity 11 is preferably coinciding with the longitudinal symmetry axis of the handle 2. By way of example, the edge of the opening 14 lies at least 2 mm from the external edge of the end 5 of the handle 2. This signifies that the wall 13 that delimits the cavity 11 has a thickness of at least 2 mm. Preferably it will nevertheless be 2 mm.

The second step of the method, object of the invention (indicated above as step b) consists of transversely compressing the handle 2 at a section 21 of the latter (indicated in figure 2) preferably from the end 5 up to a certain distance from the base 12. In other words, the handle 2 is compressed, transversely with respect to the wall 13, at a section 21 of the cavity 11 preferably starting from the opening 14. The section 21 is smaller than the distance between the opening 14 and the base 12, such that the compression is only partially exerted on the cavity 11. The handle 2 is also compressed so as to increase the eccentricity of the opening 14.

In particular, figure 2 shows a brush 20 obtained by applying the method, object of the invention, to the brush 1 of figure 1. The brush 20 is the result that is obtained at the end of the second step of the method, i.e. after the flattening of the handle 2 has been carried out. The compression has been preferably carried out by applying, to the handle 2, a force 22 directed orthogonal to the plane where the bracket 8 lies. The compression was such to plastically deform the handle 2. In particular, the compression has caused a flattening of the hair housing seat 6, above all at the section 21. Given that the cavity 11 is cylindrical, due to said flattening, both the opening 14 and the base 12 have changed from circular to nearly elliptical with the smaller axes coplanar, lying in a plane parallel to the force 22 that caused the compression. Also the major axes of the ellipses are coplanar but directed orthogonal to the force 22 which caused the compression. Given that the compression was only applied at the section 21 of the cavity 11 , the ellipse at the opening 14 is flat while the ellipse at the base 12 is slightly bent at the smaller axis, with the concavity directed towards the opening 14. In addition, still due to the fact that the compression was applied only at the section 21 of the cavity 11 , the eccentricity of the ellipse at the opening 14 is greater than the eccentricity of the ellipse at the base 12. This ensures that the wall 13 has assumed a diverging conformation starting from the base 12, above all at the major axes of the ellipses, as shown in figure 2. The hairs 6 were in turn compressed by the deformed wall 13 and, due to this compression, the bunch 7 has also assumed a conformation that is diverging starting from the base 12. The brush 1 thus became a brush 20 of "fan-like" type.

The length of the section 21 of handle 2 that underwent the compression is preferably not greater than 2/3 the distance between the opening 14 and the distance.

By way of example, when the handle 2 is made of low-density polyethylene, the compression is preferably not less than 0.3 N/mm ² , and still more preferably not less than 0.6 N/mm ² .

By way of example, when the handle 2 is made of high-density polyethylene, the compression is preferably not less than 0.5 N/mm ² , and still more preferably not less than 1 N/mm ² .

In a test conducted by the Applicant on a nail brush of "round" type having a handle made of low-density polyethylene, following a compression of 6 N/mm ² on a section 21 of length equal to 1/3 the distance between the opening 14 and the base 12, a brush was obtained of "fan-like" type whose fan of hairs has an angular width of 18°.

On the basis of the description provided for a preferred embodiment, it is obvious that some changes can be introduced by the man skilled in the art without departing from the protective scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

In particular, the section 21 at which the handle 2 is compressed does not have to start from the opening 14. A result nearly identical to that described above is obtainable by compressing the handle 2 starting from a cross section of the cavity 11 arranged in proximity to the opening 14.

The method, object of the invention, has also been described by arranging, in step a), a brush of "round" type. In equivalent manner to that described above, by applying the method, object of the invention, it is possible to obtain a fan-like brush starting from a brush of "flat" type. In such case, given that the hair housing seat is nearly prismatic with base, by way of example, rectangular or elliptical, it is preferable to compress the handle by applying a force respectively in the direction of the smaller side of the rectangle and the smaller axis of the ellipse.

By applying the method, object of the invention, to a nail brush of "fan-like" type obtained according to the prior art, it is also possible to further flatten the hair housing seat so as to increase the divergence of the bunch and thus increase the angular width of the fan of hairs.