TW201818913A - Apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition comprising a thickener added to an emulsified material formed by using a microfluidic channel in a transient emulsification - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes an apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition of an emulsified material to which a thickener is added, comprising a fluid container disposed within a housing, the fluid container including an outer phase chamber for storing an external phase fluid forming an emulsified material And a dispersed phase chamber for storing the dispersed phase fluid forming the dispersed phase of the emulsified material. The apparatus further includes a first passage for forming an emulsified material by combining the external phase fluid with the dispersed phase fluid; and a second passage, wherein the second passage is provided with a space in communication with the first passage to form a passage for allowing the emulsified material to flow, and allowing the thickener to flow into the emulsified material; and a tube providing a passage for the emulsified material flowing through the second passage to the thickener to flow into the pump installed in the housing Pu.

Description

 Apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition comprising a thickener added to an emulsified material formed by using a microfluidic channel in a transient emulsification  

The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for dispensing a cosmetic composition of a multi-emulsified material prepared by instantaneous emulsification when an external phase fluid and a dispersed phase fluid flow through a microfluidic channel, in particular, by adding a minimum amount A thickener to an emulsified material, for example, O/W emulsified particles or W/O emulsified particles formed by transient emulsification using the performance properties of a fluid flowing through a microfluidic channel to achieve better skin feel and stability Manufacturing equipment for cosmetic composition controlled by degree of sex.

Briefly, fluid emulsification techniques are used to disperse two immiscible fluids, such as water and oil, in small particles to disperse and dispose in another fluid to stabilize. In the cosmetics industry, emulsification technology is widely used in the manufacture of skin lotions, skin creams, serums, massage creams, cleansing creams, make-up bases, foundation creams, eyeliners, mascaras, etc. In other words, in order to manufacture the above-mentioned cosmetics, small particles of a hydrophobic fluid such as oil are uniformly dispersed in a hydrophilic fluid such as water to produce O/W emulsified particles or oil-in-water emulsified particles, or small particles of hydrophilic fluid are uniformly dispersed. The W/O emulsified particles or the water-in-oil emulsified particles are produced in a hydrophobic fluid. The O/W emulsified particles and the W/O emulsified particles are referred to as an emulsion or an emulsified material.

In order to manufacture such an emulsified material, a physical method of producing an emulsified substance by using a hydrophilic fluid and a hydrophobic fluid has been generally employed. For example, as disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0222000, a conventional method is to place both a hydrophilic fluid and a hydrophobic fluid in a large chamber, and then, using a mixer to transfer a fluid. The particles are dispersed in another fluid. For example, the mixer used in this project can be a homogenizer or a microfluidizer. In other words, the O/W emulsified particles or the W/O emulsified particles are prepared by mixing a hydrophilic fluid and a hydrophobic fluid in a large chamber, and then mixing the fluid using a mixer.

In the foregoing process, a surfactant is further added to the mixture to lower the interfacial energy between the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid to easily form an emulsion, for example, O/W emulsified particles or W/O emulsified particles. The interface film is maintained even harder to prevent emulsified particles from binding. In particular, although an emulsified material such as O/W emulsified particles or W/O emulsified particles is formed by using a mixer, the emulsified particles are only bonded for a given period of time after the operation of the mixer is stopped, and thus the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobicity The fluids may be separated from each other again. In order to avoid this phenomenon, a surfactant is added to stabilize the small emulsified particles, and the emulsified state is maintained for a long period of time.

Further, a thickener is added to the mixture to lower the mobility of the emulsified material to prevent the binding and separation of the emulsified material, and to increase the consistency of the cosmetic product. The addition of a thickening agent to the mixture ensures the stability of the cosmetic product and increases its thickness, achieving better applicability to the skin.

However, in the prior art described above, the thickener is added after the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid are placed in the chamber, emulsified, and then mixed with each other by means of a mixer. However, when the thickened external phase fluid is placed, the added thickener reduces the mobility of the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid, and the microfluidic channel cannot be used to effectively form the emulsified material in the transient emulsification method. That is, since the thickener affects the flow rate of the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid and the formation of the emulsified particles, it is necessary to select the ideal time for adding the thickener, but in the prior art, the thickener is added to the cavity. The fluid mixture in the room, but does not consider its ideal addition time.

Furthermore, since it is required to prepare a large amount of emulsified material in advance to produce and sell the produced cosmetic composition product to satisfy the user's needs for manufacturing a cosmetic composition containing an emulsified substance, it is applied from the preparation of the emulsified substance to the user as a cosmetic. It takes a long time. As a result, it is necessary to add a larger amount of thickener chemicals than necessary.

Further, considering the long-term stability of storing a large amount of emulsified product, inevitably imposes many restrictions on the preparation, packaging and transportation of the emulsified material.

In summary, the present invention provides an emulsified substance (or emulsion) by adding and mixing a thickener to an emulsified substance after forming an emulsified particle by instantaneous emulsification using a fluid in the performance property of the microfluidic channel, for example, , O/W emulsified particles or W/O emulsified particles, which are suitable for the preparation of cosmetic compositions controlled by the degree of skin touch and stability.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition comprising an emulsified material to which a thickener is added is provided, the apparatus comprising: a housing mounted with a pump operated by a user; a container disposed in the housing, the fluid container comprising an outer phase chamber for storing an external phase fluid forming an emulsified material, and a dispersed phase chamber for storing a dispersed phase fluid forming a dispersed phase of the emulsified material; a passage for forming an emulsified material by combining an external phase fluid and a dispersed phase fluid; a second passage coupled to the first passage, wherein the second passage is provided with a space communicating with the first passage, Forming a passage for allowing the emulsified material to flow, and allowing the thickener to flow into the emulsified material; and a tube for supplying the emulsified material to which the thickener is added flows through the second passage into the pump path.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the first passage includes an emulsification member that allows the external phase fluid to meet the dispersed phase fluid to form the emulsified material, and an emulsification installed downstream of the emulsified member to provide a path for the emulsified material to flow. a material delivery tube; and the second channel is formed with a second emulsifier passage that communicates with the first emulsified material passage formed at the end of the emulsified material delivery tube in the upstream direction and the downstream direction.

In still another embodiment, the apparatus includes: a thickener chamber installed in the housing; and a thickener injection tube for discharging the thickener stored in the thickener chamber The passage, the thickener injection pipe is in communication with the second passage.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the second passage is provided with a thickener delivery tube that is a path for flowing a thickener from the thickener injection tube; and an additional intersection is formed in the Downstream of the thickener delivery tube, the emulsified material flowing into the second passage through the second emulsified material passage contacts the thickener flowing through the thickener delivery tube.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, a mixing channel is formed downstream of the additional intersection, the mixing channel comprising at least one mixture flow component that is a path for mixing the thickener with the emulsified material.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the mixture flow component includes: a first rotation path for guiding the thickener and the emulsified material to rotate in one direction; for guiding the thickener and the emulsified material a second rotation path that rotates in the other direction; and a position between the first rotation path and the second rotation path to change the direction of the direction in which the thickener and the emulsified material rotate.

In a specific embodiment of the apparatus, the emulsified material mixed with the thickener and formed by the flow-flowing member is discharged through the tube from the outlet of the mixture in communication with the tube.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the emulsifying member is an orifice that is smaller than the intersection, and the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid intersect each other at the intersection.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the emulsifying member is adapted to emulsify the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid while flowing in the same direction; and emulsify by causing the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid to flow alternately with each other; Emulsifying the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid by adjusting an aspect ratio of the external phase fluid leading to the intersection and the inlet of the dispersed phase fluid; by causing the dispersed phase fluid or the dispersed phase fluid to interact with the external phase fluid The fluid mixture flows through the pores of the membrane to form emulsified particles; the emulsified particles are formed by using at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, a centrifugal force, a laser, and a vibration; or by changing the viscosity of the fluid, the interfacial tension And the degree of moisture to form emulsified particles.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the second channel is located on the top of the first channel or on the bottom side thereof.

In another embodiment of the apparatus, the neutralizing agent is added to the external phase fluid prior to combining the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid with each other.

In still another embodiment of the apparatus, the outer phase chamber and the dispersed phase chamber are mounted in the housing to be separated by a dividing wall.

In yet another embodiment of the apparatus, the pump is a button spring pump, a syringe pump, a tube pump, a gear pump, a porous pump, a threaded pump, a capillary action to aspirate or A pump that discharges fluid, and one of pumps that draws or discharges fluid by controlling electrical, vibration, sonic, or piezoelectric materials.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prepare an emulsified material by using a raw material stored in an aqueous phase and in an oil phase, for example, by using a special performance property of a fluid flow through a microfluidic channel, for example, when a user wants to use an emulsified material, for example, O/W emulsified particles or W/O emulsified particles.

Since the user can dispense the prepared emulsified material when prepared by the user's pumping operation, it is possible to prepare and dispense the emulsified material when it is desired to use it.

Accordingly, since it is not necessary to store a large amount of emulsified material for a long period of time, many limitations imposed on the storage and transportation of the emulsified material product in consideration of its long-term stability are no longer applicable to the present disclosure.

Further, according to the present disclosure, since the thickener is added to the emulsified substance after the formation of the emulsified substance, it is possible to control the skin feeling and stability of the emulsified substance.

1‧‧‧ Equipment

10‧‧‧shell

20‧‧‧ fluid containers

21‧‧‧External phase chamber

22‧‧‧Distributed phase chamber

23‧‧‧ partition wall

30‧‧‧External phase fluid injection tube

40‧‧‧Dispersed phase fluid injection tube

45‧‧‧ Thickener room

46‧‧‧ Thickener injection tube

50‧‧‧First Passage

51‧‧‧External fluid inlet

52‧‧‧First tube

53‧‧‧Second tube

54‧‧‧Dispersed phase fluid inlet

55‧‧‧Disperse phase fluid delivery tube

56‧‧‧ intersection

57‧‧‧Emulsified material delivery tube

58‧‧‧Emulsifying parts/orifices

59‧‧‧First emulsifier pathway

60‧‧‧ tube

70‧‧‧ pump

80‧‧‧second channel

81‧‧‧Second emulsifier pathway

81a‧‧‧Emulsified material tube

82‧‧‧ Thickener inlet

83‧‧‧ Thickener delivery tube

84‧‧‧Additional intersections

85‧‧‧Mixed channel

86‧‧‧Mixed channel

86a‧‧‧Mixed flow parts

87‧‧‧ mixture export channel

88‧‧‧Exports of emulsified materials and mixture exports

100‧‧‧microfluidic channel

861‧‧‧First rotation path

862‧‧‧second rotation path

863‧‧‧ Direction change path

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition containing an emulsifying substance to which a thickener is added, according to a specific example of the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the configuration of the first channel in the microfluidic channel of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the configuration of the second channel on the first channel in the microfluidic channel of the device.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of "A" shown in Figure 3 to show the specific structure of the mixing channel.

 (best mode)  

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is described with reference to the specific examples depicted in the drawings. It should be noted that the description is only a specific example, and the technical concept, key components, and functions thereof of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition containing an emulsifying substance to which a thickener is added, according to a specific example of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the configuration of the first channel in the microfluidic channel of the device shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view showing the first channel in the microfluidic channel of the device. Top view of the configuration of the two channels.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus 1 for preparing a cosmetic composition according to the present disclosure is formed with a housing 10. The pump 70 operated by its user is disposed on one side of the housing 10, and the user can press the pump 70 to dispense the material in the housing 10. For example, when the user presses the pump 70, the pressure supplied to the material flow path in the housing 10 is increased. In this case, when the user releases the hand from the pump 70 to release the pressure, a negative pressure of the material conveying path is caused to discharge the material.

The pump 70 is an energy-providing member that provides energy for discharging and instantaneously emulsification of the fluid in the chambers 21, 22, and 45, and dispensing the emulsified fluid mixture through an outlet formed on the outside of the housing 10. An operation unit located on one side of the housing 10 and operated by a user may be exposed outside the housing 10, and a connection unit for discharging the fluid mixture may be provided in the housing 10. The pressure formed by the pump 70 supplies the raw materials stored in the outer phase chamber 21, the dispersed phase chamber 22, and the thickener chamber 45 to the microfluidic channel 100. The pressure also causes the feedstock supplied to the microfluidic channel 100 to flow through the designated path, and then, after the transient emulsification, flows into the pump 70 through the tube 60. To achieve this, a fluid passage from the pump 70 to the individual chambers 21, 22, and 45 that communicate with one another can be formed.

In this particular embodiment, although the configuration of the pump 70 is described as having an outlet for discharging cosmetic material exposed to the outside of the housing 10, it should be noted that this is merely an example, and the concept of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the outlet can be a separate unit from the pump 70, and the pump 70 can be coupled to any point in the fluid passage from the chambers 21, 22, and 45 to the outlet to create pressure.

The pump 70 described in this specific example presses the pumping example downward, and when the user presses the pump 70 and then releases the hand from its pump operating unit to release the pressure, the fluid is caused to flow in the casing 10. The path creates a negative pressure. In this example, the advantage of such a configuration is that the pressure generated by the pump 70 in only one direction allows the material discharged from the chambers 21, 22, and 45 to flow through the microfluidic channel 100 and the discharged cosmetics. The material helps to simplify the configuration of the device.

However, it should be noted that the concept of the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and any pump that is assembled in a different manner than the pump 70 can be used. For example, the pump 70 can be a manually operated pump, such as a button spring pump, a syringe pump, a tube pump or a hose pump, a gear pump, a porous pump, or a threaded implant pump. Capillary action is used to pump or discharge fluid by applying an orifice, a ball, or a pencil to its outlet. Otherwise motorized pumps can be applied to control power, vibration, sonic, or piezoelectric materials to pump or discharge fluid.

The housing 10 is provided therein with an outer phase chamber 21 for storing external phase fluid and a dispersed phase chamber 22 for storing dispersed phase fluid. For example, the outer phase chamber 21 and the dispersed phase chamber 22 may be disposed in the housing 10 as a fluid container 20. Specifically, the partition wall 23 extending from the top to the bottom and dividing the internal space of the fluid container 20 is installed at the center of the fluid container 20. The external phase flow system is stored on one side of the partition wall 23 to form the outer phase chamber 21, and the dispersed phase flow system is stored on the other side to form the dispersed phase chamber 22.

Further, a thickener chamber 45 is installed in the housing 10 to be spaced apart from the fluid container 20. The thickener can be stored in the thickener chamber 45.

Depending on the acidity of the thickener, if a neutralizing agent is added, the neutralizing agent may be added to the external phase fluid stored in the outer phase chamber 21. That is, after the neutralizing agent has been added to the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid is used to form the emulsified particles, it is sequentially contacted with and mixed with the thickener, and an emulsified substance is formed by simultaneous neutralization and thickening.

The outer phase chamber 21 and the dispersed phase chamber 22 are coupled to the outer phase fluid injection pipe 30 and the dispersed phase fluid injection pipe 40, respectively, which serve as paths for transporting the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid stored therein. In other words, the external phase fluid stored in the outer phase chamber 21 can be discharged from the outer phase chamber 21 through the outer phase fluid injection tube 30. In a similar manner, the dispersed phase fluid stored in the dispersed phase chamber 22 can be discharged from the dispersed phase chamber 22 through the dispersed phase fluid injection tube 40.

Further, the thickener chamber 45 is coupled to a thickener injection tube 46 which is a path for transporting the thickener stored therein. That is, the thickener stored in the thickener chamber 45 can be discharged from the thickener chamber 45 through the thickener injection tube 46.

In the present disclosure, the apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition does not employ a conventional syringe pump using a positive pressure, but instead employs a microfluidic channel 100 using only a negative pressure. That is, since the present disclosure uses only a negative pressure on the microfluidic channel 100 to discharge the emulsified material, there is an advantage that the apparatus according to the present disclosure can be directly applied to conventional cosmetic containers and pump structures.

Conventionally, due to the large interfacial tension between the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid, the fluids are not easily miscible, and an excess of 1% to 5% of the surfactant is required to form the emulsified particles and to maintain the emulsified particles in stability. However, in a certain infinitesimal length or no more than one millimeter in length, the surface force acting on the fluid in the microfluidic channel 100 is even greater than the bulk force, so no surfactant is used, or will be added to achieve rapid emulsification. Minimizing the amount of surfactant used is an advantage. Furthermore, the principle that one fluid interrupts the flow of another fluid to form emulsified particles between the two immiscible fluids helps to reduce the amount of surfactant required.

Although the emulsification method using the microfluidic channel 100 has the aforementioned plurality of advantages, its manufacturing speed is slower than that of a conventional emulsifier using a large tank and a mixer, and thus the emulsification method is not an ideal option for application to a cosmetic manufacturing apparatus. In order to address this manufacturing speed issue, the present disclosure develops a microfluidic channel 100 that can be applied to a container, and when the user wants to use an emulsified material, a transient emulsification for emulsification based on the predetermined amount of emulsified material dispensed technology.

One end of the outer phase fluid injection tube 30 and one end of the dispersed phase fluid injection tube 40 are coupled to the first passage 50 of the microfluidic channel 100. The microfluidic channel 100 can be formed at the bottom of the housing 10 as a passage for fluid to flow. However, the mounting position and shape of the microfluidic channel 100 are not limited to the foregoing.

As for this configuration, the connections of the chambers 21, 22, and 45 to the injection tubes 30, 40, and 46, respectively, can be provided with switches to control the opening and closing of the joint, such as a valve, only when the pressure is applied to the joint. The injection tubes 30, 40, and 46 discharge the contents.

Furthermore, the microfluidic channel 100 includes a first channel 50 and a second channel 80 positioned atop the first channel 50. In this particular example, although the first channel 50 is described as being on top of the second channel 80, it should be noted that the concept of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first passage 50 can be located on the bottom side of the second passage 80 or on the same plane. When the second passage 80 is positioned on the bottom side of the first passage 50, the entire flow passage can be grouped into a shorter one, which simplifies the device configuration. When the first passage 50 and the second passage 80 are disposed on the same plane, the first emulsified material passage 59 and the second emulsified material passage 81 may be the same passage.

First, the first passage 50 may be formed with an inlet that communicates with the outer phase fluid injection pipe 30 and the dispersed phase fluid injection pipe 40. In other words, the first passage 50 includes an outer phase fluid inlet 51 as an outer phase fluid flowing through the outer phase fluid injection tube 30, and a dispersed phase fluid inlet 54 as a dispersed phase fluid flowing through the passage of the dispersed phase fluid injection tube 40.

The outer phase fluid entering the first passage 50 through the outer phase fluid inlet 51 may flow downstream toward the pump 70, and the first passage 50 is divided into a first branch pipe 52 and a second branch pipe 53. As used herein, the term "downstream" refers to the direction in which fluid stored in fluid container 20 is discharged from pump 70 through tube 60 by operation of a pump by a user.

Similarly, the dispersed phase fluid flowing into the first passage 50 through the dispersed phase fluid inlet 54 can flow downstream through the dispersed phase fluid delivery tube 55. The external phase fluid flowing through the first branch pipe 52 and the second branch pipe 53 meet each other at the intersection 56 with the dispersed phase fluid flowing through the dispersed phase fluid delivery pipe 55. That is, the intersection 56 is the first point at which the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid meet within the housing 10.

The external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid that meet at the intersection 56 pass through the emulsification member 58 to become an emulsion, that is, an emulsified material. An example of the emulsified component 58 disposed and described in this particular example is an orifice 58 that is narrower than the intersection 56. The interaction of the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid at the intersection 56 through the orifice 58, and the narrower or vertical direction of the orifice 58 (i.e., the diagonal direction toward the center of the orifice 58) and the fluid flow The combined direction of the forces in the direction or the horizontal direction, the external phase fluid exerts a shear force on the dispersed phase fluid to interrupt the incoming dispersed phase fluid to form an emulsified material. In particular, when the two immiscible mixed fluids pass through the orifice 58 and the interface is unsafe, the capillary instability is increased, and the passage having the orifice 58 is relatively small, and the passage having the orifice 58 can even be interrupted by less energy. The flow of the dispersed phase fluid. The dispersed phase fluid that is interrupted flows is formed into a sphere to maintain stability.

The emulsifying member 58 is used to enable the external phase fluid to interrupt the flow of the fluid mixture, and to disperse the fluid mixture as particles in the outer phase fluid, it being noted that although the example of the emulsified component 58 disposed and described in this embodiment is an orifice, The idea of revealing content is not limited by this. Specifically, in this specific example, an emulsification method using an orifice is used, which is referred to as flow focusing emulsification, by allowing fluids of different phases to flow in the same direction, but providing orifices at intersections, so that the external phase fluid can be interrupted. The phase fluid is dispersed and implemented. The orifices used as described above can steer the flow of the outer phase fluid in a diagonal direction in the orifice and apply a large shear force to the fluid mixture, thereby making it easier to form emulsified particles while being formed into similar sizes. Emulsified particles.

Further, as for the emulsifying member 58, various specific examples can be applied, for example, and examples of application include: a method of emulsifying a different phase fluid while causing it to flow in the same direction, that is, a common accompanying flow method; emulsifying a different phase fluid while making it a method of interlacing with each other, that is, a staggered flow method; a method of adjusting an aspect ratio of an outer phase fluid leading to an intersection to an inlet of a dispersed phase fluid to be larger or smaller to form an emulsified particle at an intersection, that is, a staged emulsification method And a method for forming a emulsified particle by flowing a dispersed phase fluid or a fluid mixture of two different phases through a pore of the membrane, that is, a membrane emulsification method.

A power source can be utilized as the emulsifying member 58, and an applicable channel example for forming emulsified particles can be controlled by using electric field or electric power, magnetic or magnetic control, centrifugal or centrifugal control, laser or optical control, vibrator or vibration control, Piezoelectric materials or piezoelectric control are implemented.

The emulsifying member 58 can form emulsified particles by changing the viscosity of the fluid, the interfacial tension, and the degree of moisture, and application examples include electrorheological fluids or ER fluids, magnetorheological fluids or MR fluids, or photosensitive fluids.

At the same time as the orifice 58, the formed emulsified material flows into the tube 60 via the emulsified material delivery tube 57. As used herein, the term "upstream" refers to the opposite direction of "downstream" and refers to the direction of the direction in which the fluid flow is directed to the user's pumping operation, ie, toward the pump 70, tube 60. The direction of the microfluidic channel 100 and the fluid container 20.

In the prior art, the size of the emulsified material has been controlled by controlling the amount of surfactant added to the emulsified material. However, in accordance with the present disclosure, the size of the emulsified material can be controlled solely by controlling the width of the aperture 58. However, the width of the orifice 58 has a predetermined minimum, and thus the size of the emulsified material has a lower limit.

In particular, in cosmetics manufactured by using an emulsifier, the size and content of the emulsified particles are important factors in determining the quality of the cosmetic. In general, the ratio of the injected external phase fluid must be equal to or higher than the ratio of the injected dispersed phase fluid to form emulsified particles. For example, the amount of external phase fluid injected may be equal to the amount of the dispersed phase fluid injected to more than 30 times the latter.

As in the present disclosure, in the microfluidic channel 100 using only the negative pressure, the velocity of the fluid flowing in is determined by the structural elements of the microfluidic channel 100 and the fluid flow conditions, and thus the size and content of the emulsified particles are different. Examples of structural elements of the microfluidic channel 100 include channel height, orifice width, and width ratios of individual channels for injecting fluid. Examples of fluid flow conditions include the negative pressure strength, the flow ratio of the two fluids, and the viscosity ratio of the two fluids.

When the channel height is lower; the orifice width is narrower; the negative pressure strength is higher; the flow ratio of the external phase fluid to the dispersed phase fluid is larger; and when the dispersed phase fluid viscosity is greater than the external phase fluid viscosity, the emulsified particles become smaller . However, under the opposite conditions, the emulsified particles become larger.

In the present disclosure, a method for controlling the inner diameter of each of the inlets of the dispersed phase fluid and the outer phase fluid is used to control the flow ratio of the dispersed phase fluid to the outer phase fluid. In particular, when the inner diameter of the outer phase fluid inlet is twice as large as the inner diameter of the dispersed phase fluid inlet, the volume of the outer phase fluid stream is doubled compared to the volume of the dispersed phase fluid stream only under negative pressure. In the same manner, the ratio of the dispersed phase fluid stream to the outer phase fluid stream can be controlled.

Further, in order to increase the content of the emulsified particles, it is required to make the flow ratios of the two fluids the same if possible. However, when the dispersed phase fluid flows faster than the outer phase fluid, the outer phase fluid does not have sufficient strength to interrupt the dispersed phase fluid flow, and thus it is difficult to form the emulsified particles.

In the present disclosure, to address this issue, the ratio of the outer fluid channel width to the dispersed phase fluid channel width can be controlled to control the velocity of the intersection of the two fluids, and thus the emulsified particle content, even The flow rate ratio of the two injection fluids is also uncontrolled. For example, when the outer fluid channel width becomes one-half the width of the dispersed phase fluid channel, at the intersection of the two fluid phases, the velocity of the outer phase fluid can be twice as fast as the same width, even if the dispersion phase fluid is injected. This is also true when the speed is twice as fast as the width of the same channel. Therefore, the emulsified particles are formed equally effectively when the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase flow system are injected at equal flow rate ratios, and the content thereof is doubled because the amount of the dispersed phase fluid to be injected is doubled.

The emulsified material passing through the intersection 56 and the orifice 58 flows through the emulsified material delivery tube 57. In this process, the end of the emulsified material delivery tube 57 is formed with a first emulsifier passage 59 which communicates with the second passage 80 and serves as a passage for the emulsified material to flow out of the first passage 50. Further, the second passage 80 is formed with a second emulsified material passage 81 which communicates with the first emulsified material passage 59 and serves as a passage for the emulsified material to flow into the second passage 80.

The emulsified material that has flowed into the second passage 80 through the second emulsified material passage 81 flows into the additional intersection through the emulsified material tube 81a. However, the second passage 80 is provided with a thickener delivery pipe 83 which is the flow path of the thickener from the thickener injection pipe 46. Specifically, the thickener stored in the thickener chamber 45 in the housing 10 flows into the thickener inlet 82 of the second passage 80 through the thickener injection tube 46 by means of a negative pressure. Thus, the thickener flowing into the second passage 80 through the thickener inlet 82 flows through the thickener delivery tube 83 into the additional intersection 84.

That is, since the additional intersection 84 is formed downstream of the thickener delivery pipe 83, the emulsified material flowing into the second passage 80 through the second emulsified material passage 81 contacts the flow through the thickener delivery pipe 83. The thickener, so the contact between the emulsifying material and the thickener occurs at an additional intersection 84.

The emulsified material that has been contacted with the thickener flows into the mixing channel 86 to be mixed with the thickener. Specifically, the emulsified material that is in contact with the thickener flows into the mixing passage 86 through the mixing channel 85, the mixing passage 86 is bent a plurality of times, and the mixed thickened emulsified material flows through the mixing passage 86. At the same time, it flows through the mixture outlet passage 87 and then into the tube 60.

Because the mixing passage 86 provides a curved flow path, centrifugal forces are generated in the fluid flow through the mixing passage 86 and eddy currents are formed in the fluid flow. The centrifugal force and eddy current produced can excite the mixing of the thickener and the emulsified material.

Further, since the mixing passage 86 is bent in the staggered direction to change the fluid flow direction to the reverse direction, the collision between the fluids whose direction is changed can further excite the mixing of the thickener and the emulsified material.

Moreover, when the mixing passage 86 is in a curved form, it provides a sufficient mixing path and contributes to a reduction in the mounting area of the second passage 80 having a long flow path.

However, it should be noted that the shape of the mixing passage 86 according to this specific example is not limited to the type of bending in the staggered direction, but may be of a type that is curved in the same direction, or a combination of two types, and various types for forming eddy currents.

However, the mixing method according to this specific example is not limited to the method using only eddy current, and examples of suitable methods include: a method of placing one fluid on another fluid to increase the surface area; a method of applying an electric field; and a method using sound waves; And a method of mixing fluids in a microfluidic channel.

The emulsified material is brought into contact with the thickener flowing through the mixing passage 86 so that the method of mixing the thickener with the emulsified material will be described in detail later.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of "A" shown in Figure 3 to show the specific structure of the mixing channel.

Referring to the drawings, the mixing passage 86 is fitted with at least one mixture flow member for providing a rotational path in different directions to mix the thickener with the emulsified material. This specific example describes the installation of four mixture flow components, but the number of mixture flow components is not limited thereto.

The mixture flow members may be combined into a structure corresponding to each other. Therefore, one of the four mixture flow components is described in this specification.

The mixture flow member 86a is assembled to have a first rotation path 861 for guiding the thickener and the emulsified material to rotate in one direction, and a second for guiding the thickener and the emulsified material to rotate in the other direction. Rotate path 862. A direction change path 863 for changing the direction of rotation of the thickener and the emulsified material is installed between the first rotation path 861 and the second rotation path 862. That is, the first rotation path 861 guides the incoming fluid to rotate in one direction, the second rotation path 862 guides the fluid rotating in one direction to rotate in the other direction, and the direction change path 863 changes the first rotation path 861 and the The direction of fluid rotation between the two rotating paths 862.

Therefore, the emulsified material that flows through the additional intersection 84 while being in contact with the thickener flows in the counterclockwise direction while flowing through the first rotation path 861 to perform the first mixing. Subsequently, the emulsified material which has been thickened after the first mixing flows through the second rotating path 862 after flowing through the direction changing path 863, and is rotated in the clockwise direction to perform the second mixing. That is, the emulsified material contacting the thickener is rotated in different directions, and while flowing through the first rotating path 861 and the second rotating path 862, the mixing of the thickener and the emulsified substance is further excited.

In the method described above, the already thickened emulsified material flowing through the mixing passage 86 flows through the mixture outlet passage 87 and then flows into the tube 60 via the emulsified material outlet 88. The tube 60 is made of a transparent material to allow the user to visually inspect the emulsified material flowing through the tube 60 from the outside. In order to achieve this, it is also required to produce a region of the casing 10 surrounding the tube 60 using a material that allows the user to visually inspect the emulsified material flowing through the tube 60 from the outside.

A pump 70 is installed at the end of the tube 60, and a user can dispense an emulsified substance from the outlet of the pump 70, which flows through the preparation apparatus 1 for preparing a cosmetic composition.

The fluid flow is detailed later.

First, the discharge procedure for O/W emulsified particles is described below.

In order to discharge the O/W emulsified particles, the external phase fluid may be a hydrophilic fluid such as water, and the dispersed phase fluid may be a hydrophobic fluid such as oil. The hydrophilic flow system is stored in the outer phase chamber 21 and the hydrophobic flow system is stored in the dispersed phase chamber 22.

In this state, when the user presses the pump 70 downward, the pressure for the space for storing the fluid and the path for the fluid flow in the housing is increased. Subsequently, when the user removes the hand from the pump 70 to release the pressure, a negative pressure is generated on the space for storing the fluid and the fluid delivery path to discharge the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid from the chambers, respectively.

Specifically, the hydrophilic fluid flows into the outer phase fluid inlet 51 of the first passage 50 through the outer phase fluid injection pipe 30, and the hydrophobic fluid flows into the dispersed phase fluid inlet 54 of the first passage 50 through the dispersed phase fluid injection pipe 40. . The hydrophilic fluid entering the first passage 50 flows into the intersection 56 through the first branch pipe 52 and the second branch pipe 53, and the hydrophobic fluid flows into the intersection 56 through the dispersed phase fluid delivery pipe 55. That is, the hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic fluid intersect each other at the intersection 56 of the first passage 50.

Emulsification of the dispersed phase fluid and the external phase fluid occurs as it passes through the orifice 58, and the emulsified material passing through the orifice 58 flows through the emulsified material delivery tube 57. That is, the emulsified material is formed into a hydrophilic fluid surrounding the hydrophobic fluid. Since the emulsified material produced in the process is a structure in which oil is dispersed in water, it is referred to as O/W emulsified particles or oil-in-water emulsified particles.

For this process, it is preferred that the emulsified material delivery tube 57 can be made of a hydrophilic material or that its inner wall can be coated with a hydrophilic material. Specifically, since the emulsified material has a configuration in which the outer side is made of a hydrophilic fluid and the hydrophobic flow system is dispersed therein, the hydrophilic fluid in the emulsified material is attracted to the wall of the emulsified material delivery tube 57, where The emulsified material delivery tube 57 is made of a hydrophilic material. Therefore, the aforementioned O/W emulsified particles can efficiently flow through the emulsified material delivery tube 57 while maintaining the stability of its shape and structure. To achieve this, when the emulsified material delivery tube 57 is hydrophilic, the water contact angle or WCA can be defined as being in the range of 0 to 50 degrees. In this case, the O/W emulsified particles can flow more efficiently.

In the foregoing process, the O/W emulsified particles flowing through the first emulsifier passage 59 of the first passage 50 flow into the second passage 80 on top of the first passage 50. Specifically, the O/W emulsified particles flow into the second passage 80 through the second emulsified material passage 81 of the second passage 80 communicating with the first emulsified material passage 59 of the first passage 50.

The O/W emulsified particles entering the second passage 80 through the second emulsified material passage 81 flow into the additional intersection 84 through the emulsified material tube 81a. The self-thickener chamber 45, through the thickener injection tube 46, flows into the thickener inlet 82 formed in the thickener inlet 82 of the second passage 80, through the thickener delivery tube 83 of the second passage 80, into the additional Intersection 84. Thus, at an additional intersection 84, the O/W emulsified particles contact the thickener.

Subsequently, the O/W emulsified particles contacting the thickener flow into the mixing passage 86 to mix the thickener with the O/W emulsified particles, and the O/W emulsified particles mixed with the thickener flow into the mixture outlet 88.

The O/W emulsified particles mixed with the thickener and flowing through the emulsified material outlet 88 flow through the tube 60 for discharge to the user from the outlet of the pump 70.

In a similar process, the discharge W/O emulsified particle treatment procedure is described below.

In order to discharge the W/O emulsified particles, the external phase fluid may be a hydrophobic fluid such as oil, and the dispersed phase fluid may be a hydrophilic fluid such as water. The hydrophobic flow system is stored in the outer phase chamber 21 and the hydrophilic flow system is stored in the dispersed phase chamber 22.

In this state, when the user presses the pump 70 down and then removes the hand from the pump 70, a negative pressure is applied to the space for storing the fluid and the path of the fluid flow, and the hydrophobic fluid and Hydrophilic fluids are separately discharged from the chambers.

Specifically, the hydrophobic fluid flows into the outer phase fluid inlet 51 of the first passage 50 through the outer phase fluid injection pipe 30, and the hydrophilic fluid flows into the dispersed phase fluid inlet 54 of the first passage 50 through the dispersed phase fluid injection pipe 40. . The hydrophobic fluid and the hydrophilic fluid entering the first passage 50 intersect each other at the intersection 56 of the first passage 50. In this process, the hydrophobic fluid and the hydrophilic fluid are emulsified while passing through the orifice 58, and the emulsified material passing through the orifice 58 flows through the emulsified material delivery tube 57. As a result, the emulsified material is formed such that the hydrophobic fluid surrounds the hydrophilic fluid.

Since the emulsified material formed in the process is a structure in which water is dispersed in oil, it is referred to as W/O emulsified particles or water-in-oil emulsified particles.

For this process, it is preferred that the emulsified material delivery tube 57 can be made of a hydrophobic material or that its inner wall can be coated with a hydrophobic material. Specifically, since the emulsified material has a configuration in which the outer side is made of a hydrophobic fluid and the hydrophilic flow system is dispersed therein, the hydrophobic fluid in the emulsified substance is attracted to the wall of the emulsified material delivery tube 57, where The emulsified material delivery tube 57 is made of a hydrophobic material. Therefore, the aforementioned W/O emulsified particles can efficiently flow through the emulsified material delivery tube 57 while maintaining the stability of its shape and structure. To achieve this, when the emulsified material delivery tube 57 is hydrophobic, the water contact angle or WCA can be defined as being in the range of 70 degrees to 120 degrees. In this case, the W/O emulsified particles can flow more efficiently.

In the foregoing process, the W/O emulsified particles flowing through the first emulsified material passage 59 of the first passage 50 flow into the second passage 80 on top of the first passage 50. Specifically, the W/O emulsified particles flow into the second passage 80 through the second emulsified material passage 81 of the second passage 80 communicating with the first emulsified material passage 59 of the first passage 50.

The W/O emulsified particles entering the second passage 80 flow into the additional intersection 84 via the emulsified material tube 81a. The self-thickener chamber 45, through the thickener injection tube 46, flows into the thickener inlet 82 formed in the thickener inlet 82 of the second passage 80, through the thickener delivery tube 83 of the second passage 80, into the additional Intersection 84. Thus, at an additional intersection 84, the W/O emulsified particles contact the thickener.

Subsequently, the W/O emulsified particles contacting the thickener flow into the mixing passage 86, the thickener is mixed with the W/O emulsified particles, and the W/O emulsified particles mixed with the thickener are flowed into the mixture outlet 88.

The W/O emulsified particles mixed with the thickener and flowing through the emulsified material outlet 88 flow through the tube 60 for discharge to the user from the outlet of the pump 70.

As described above, since the thickener is added thereto after the emulsified material has been formed according to the present disclosure, the emulsified material can be thickened without interfering with the formation of the emulsified particles before or at the same time as the emulsified particles are formed, thereby improving the attention Skin feel and stability of cosmetics.

According to the present disclosure, since the prepared emulsified material is dispensed by the user's pumping operation, it can be prepared and supplied when the user wants to use the emulsified material.

It is to be noted that the foregoing description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative only, and the scope of the present disclosure may be modified and varied in various ways. Therefore, the specific examples disclosed in the present disclosure are not intended to limit the technical concept of the present disclosure, and the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited by the specific examples. It is to be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is to be interpreted as the following claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the equivalents are to be construed as falling within the scope of the disclosure.

 (industry availability)  

The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition comprising an emulsified material which is transiently emulsified and which uses a microfluidic channel to which a thickener is added, and which can be applied to the cosmetic industry.

Claims (13)

 An apparatus for preparing a cosmetic composition comprising an emulsifying substance to which a thickener is added, the apparatus comprising: a housing mounted with a pump operated by a user; and a fluid container lined in the housing The fluid container includes an outer phase chamber for storing an outer phase fluid constituting the emulsified material, and a dispersed phase chamber for storing the dispersed phase fluid constituting the dispersed phase of the emulsified material; the first passage is used for Forming an emulsified material by combining the external phase fluid with the dispersed phase fluid; a second passage coupled to the first passage, wherein the second passage is provided with a space, the space being in communication with the first passage to form a passage for allowing the emulsified material to flow, and allowing the thickener to flow into the emulsified material; and a tube providing a passage for the emulsified material to which the thickener is added flows through the second passage to flow into the pump Inside.    The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first passage comprises an emulsification component that allows the external phase fluid to meet the dispersed phase fluid to form the emulsified material, and is installed downstream of the emulsified component to provide the emulsified material. An emulsified material delivery tube of the flow path; and the second passage system is formed with a second emulsifier passage, the second emulsified material passage being in the upstream direction and the downstream direction and the first emulsified material formed at the end of the emulsified material delivery tube The passage is connected.    The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a thickener chamber installed in the housing; and a thickener injection tube for storing in the thickener chamber The thickener discharge passage, the thickener injection pipe is in communication with the second passage.    The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second passage is provided with a thickener delivery pipe, which is a path for allowing a thickener to flow from the thickener injection pipe; and an additional intersection, It is formed downstream of the thickener delivery tube for contacting the emulsified material flowing into the second passage through the second emulsified material passage to the thickener flowing through the thickener delivery tube.    The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a mixing passage is formed downstream of the additional intersection, the mixing passage comprising at least one mixture flow member for allowing the thickener to be emulsified The path of material mixing.    The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mixture flow component comprises: a first rotation path for guiding the thickener and the emulsified material to rotate in one direction; and a second rotation path For guiding the thickener and the emulsified material to rotate in another direction; and a direction changing path between the first rotating path and the second rotating path to change the thickener and the emulsified substance The direction of rotation.    The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the emulsified material mixed with the thickener and formed by the flow member of the mixture is discharged through the tube from the outlet of the mixture in communication with the tube.    The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the emulsifying member is an orifice smaller than the intersection, the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid intersect each other at the intersection.    The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the emulsifying member is adapted to emulsify the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid while flowing in the same direction; emulsifying the external phase fluid by causing them to flow alternately with each other And the dispersed phase fluid; emulsification of the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid by adjusting an aspect ratio of the external phase fluid leading to the intersection and the inlet of the dispersed phase fluid; by causing the dispersed phase fluid or the dispersion The fluid mixture of the phase fluid and the external phase fluid flows through the pores of the membrane to form emulsified particles; the emulsified particles are formed by using a power source that generates at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, a centrifugal force, a laser, and a vibration; or The emulsified particles are formed by changing the viscosity of the fluid, the interfacial tension, and the degree of moisture.    The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second channel is located on the top of the first channel or on the bottom side thereof.    The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing agent is added to the external phase fluid before the external phase fluid and the dispersed phase fluid are combined with each other.    The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer phase chamber and the dispersed phase chamber are mounted in the housing separated by a dividing wall.    The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump is a button spring pump, a syringe pump, a tube pump, a gear pump, a porous pump, a threaded pump, and a capillary action to pump A pump that draws or discharges fluid, and one of pumps that draws or discharges fluid by controlling electrical, vibration, sonic, or piezoelectric materials.