Device for treating the hair having push-release cartridge locking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399609-B2
Application number	US-201615576733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for treating the hair, comprising two arms (16, 18) able to move with respect to one another between a closed configuration for treating the hair and a spread configuration for engaging therebetween the hairs to be treated, one (18) of the arms comprising a housing suitable for receiving a removable hair treatment refill (32), the hair treatment refill (32) comprising a refill body (36) and an application member (38) attached to the refill body (36), the connection of the refill (32) to the arm (18) being locked by means of a push-release locking device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refill of product for treating the hair, for removable receipt in a device for treating the hair, the refill comprising:
a refill body of elongate shape along a longitudinal axis; and
an application member fixed to the refill body,
wherein the refill body forms either:
a rib extending from a lateral surface of the refill body along the longitudinal axis of the refill body configured for being received by sliding during use into a groove of complementary cross section, formed in the device for treating the hair, or conversely,
a groove extending from a lateral surface of the refill body along the longitudinal axis of the refill body configured for accepting by sliding a rib of complementary cross section formed on the device for treating the hair, during use,
wherein the refill body has either:
a male element of a locking device of the push-release type different from the rib, the male element being in the form of a projection extending along the longitudinal axis of the refill body at one longitudinal end of the refill body, the projection having at least one overthickness in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the refill, or
a female element of the locking device of the push-release type different from the groove, the female element comprising a receiving element comprising two arms that are flexible for receiving between them a projection of a male element on the device for treating the hair, the arms of the receiving element having, in the vicinity of their respective free end, an overthickness in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the refill into the housing, in the position in which the connection between the refill and the device for treating the hair is locked, this overthickness being directed toward the projection of the male element on the device, the receiving element being mounted under elastic preload with respect to a cavity of the female element opening at one longitudinal end of the refill body by an elastic element, the female element being configured to take two distinct configurations during use:
a locked configuration in which the receiving element is received in the cavity and the two arms are bent over into contact with an edge of the cavity such that the overthickness is positioned behind a projection of the male element on the device, and
a release configuration in which the two arms of the receiving element are deployed,
the female element being configured to pass:
from the release configuration to the locked configuration by pushing on the refill body along the longitudinal axis of the refill body by a relative movement in translation of the female element of the refill with respect to the male element of the device for treating the hair along the longitudinal axis of the refill body in a sense that is directed toward the male element of the device for treating the hair without any other manipulation and any other relative movement of the male element with respect to the female element, and
from the locked configuration to the release configuration by pushing on the refill body along the longitudinal axis of the refill body by a relative movement in translation of the female element of the refill with respect to the male element of the device for treating the hair along the longitudinal axis of the refill body in the same sense without any other manipulation and any other relative movement of the male element with respect to the female element.

2. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the refill body comprises a follower for following a path formed on the device for treating the hair during use, the follower being configured to be brought during use into abutment with a wall of the path in the direction of insertion of the refill in the housing, under the effect of the elastic element in the cavity of the female element of the locking device of the push-release type of the refill when the refill body has the female element of the locking device of the push-release type or of an elastic element in a cavity of a female element of the device for treating the hair when the refill body has the male element of the locking device of the push-release type, upon insertion of the refill into the housing, and to be released during use through further pressure on the refill starting from this position of abutment.

3. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the refill body comprises a path for accepting during use a follower formed on the device for treating the hair, the path being configured to bring during use the follower into abutment with a wall of the path in the direction of insertion of the refill into the housing, under the effect of an elastic body in the cavity of the female element of the locking device of the push-release type of the refill or in the cavity of the female element of the device for treating the hair when the refill body has a male element of the locking device of the push-release type, upon insertion of the refill into the housing, and to release during use the follower through further pressure on the refill starting from this position of abutment.

4. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the male element of the locking device of the push-release type in the form of a projection that has an ogee shape in the direction of insertion.

5. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the female element of the locking device of the push-release type in the form of a cavity is for receiving during use a projection formed on the device for treating the hair.

6. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the arms of the receiving element of the female element form a lug in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the refill into the housing, said lug being configured to be received during use into abutment, in the direction of insertion of the refill into the housing, against a wall of a slot formed in one of walls of the housing, when the refill is fixed to the device for treating the hair.

7. The refill as claimed in claim 6 , in which the lug is configured to be deformed when, starting from the position in which said lug is in abutment against the wall of the slot, a user presses on the refill in the direction of insertion of the refill into the housing, to compress the elastic body such that the latter exerts a pressure on the lug that is high enough to overcome the retaining force exerted by the slot and then releases the refill.

8. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the elastic element is a shape-memory body and has two distinct positions during use:
one of them, compressed, and
the other, relaxed.

9. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the application member extends partially outside of the refill body, through an opening of the refill body.

10. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the application member is made of a porous material.

11. The refill as claimed in claim 1 , in which the application member is impregnated with product.

Assignees

• Oreal
• Seb Sa

Inventors

• Messager Edouard
• Ngo Eddy
• Maisonneuve Martial
• Vacheron Xavier
• Fereyre Regis

Classifications

• A45D1/04 Primary

  by electricity · CPC title

• A45D2200/1036

  containing a cosmetic substance, e.g. impregnated with liquid or containing a soluble solid substance · CPC title

• A45D34/00

  Containers or accessories specially adapted for handling liquid toiletry or cosmetic substances, e.g. perfumes · CPC title

• A45D2034/005

  with a cartridge · CPC title

• A45D2001/008

  with vapor generation, e.g. steam · CPC title