Cosmetic applicator with adjacent bristles which are connected together by flat elements

Abstract

A cosmetic applicator, in particular in the form of a mascara applicator with a core which has a border consisting of fingers that protrude from the core, preferably in the form of bristles. The aim of the invention is to provide a solution for a cosmetic applicator which exhibits an increased material storage capability without substantially impairing the other relevant application properties. This is achieved in that the border has adjacent fingers which are connected together by a flat element that integrally adjoins the circumferential casing surface of both fingers and the core and has a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the flat element, said thickness being lower than the maximum diameter of each of the bristles which are thus connected.

1 . A cosmetics applicator, comprising:
 a core carrying a covering of fingers protruding therefrom, wherein the covering has adjacent fingers that are connected to each other by a flat element which in each case integrally adjoins a circumferential shell surface of both fingers and integrally adjoins the core, and the flat element has a thickness in a direction perpendicular to two main surfaces of the flat element, and the thickness of the flat element is smaller than a maximum diameter of each of the fingers that are connected to each other.   
     
     
         2 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein a central longitudinal plane of each flat element is a plane in which a longitudinal applicator axis is also located. 
     
     
         3 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein said thickness of the flat element is 50% of the maximum finger diameter at most. 
     
     
         4 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the flat element decreases starting from the core towards a radially outward end of the flat element. 
     
     
         5 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein a respective flat element has a maximum extent in a radial direction that is smaller than a maximum radial extent of the two fingers it connects, wherein the maximum radial extent of each flat element is between ½ and ¾ of the maximum radial extent of the two respective fingers. 
     
     
         6 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein a radially outward free end face of the flat element is curved. 
     
     
         7 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat element is a membrane that can be deformed by forces acting in a circumferential direction. 
     
     
         8 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 7 , wherein adjacent fingers keep the membrane that respectively connects them stretched. 
     
     
         9 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , the covering further comprising at least one row of fingers placed in alignment one behind another along a longitudinal applicator axis, which fingers are connected to each other by a flat element. 
     
     
         10 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , the covering further comprising at least one row of fingers, which are placed in a zigzag one behind the other to the left and the right next to an alignment line extending parallel to a longitudinal applicator axis, and which fingers are connected to each other by a flat element. 
     
     
         11 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingers have a radial extent gradually decreasing towards a distal end of the cosmetics applicator, with a radial extent of each flat element also decreasing towards the distal end of the cosmetics applicator. 
     
     
         12 . The cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein each flat element has a sloping free end face towards a distal end of the cosmetics applicator. 
     
     
         13 . A method for manufacturing the cosmetics applicator according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 injection-molding the fingers and the flat element together to the core, wherein the flat element is injection-molded in the shape of a film that extends in each case between two immediately adjacent fingers and is kept stretched by the fingers.