US20120177429A1

US20120177429A1 - Applicator device for fusible products

Info

Publication number: US20120177429A1
Application number: US13/382,827
Authority: US
Inventors: Luis Martinez De San Vicente Oliveras
Original assignee: Ceras Especiales Martinez de San Vicente SA
Current assignee: Ceras Especiales Martinez de San Vicente SA
Priority date: 2009-07-07
Filing date: 2010-07-01
Publication date: 2012-07-12
Also published as: EP2452586A2; ES1070991U; ES1070991Y; WO2011004043A3; WO2011004043A2

Abstract

The invention relates to an applicator device for fusible products, particularly depilatory wax, having a casing which can be held with one hand and is open at the upper part, delimiting a cavity which, in the form of a receptacle, receives the insertion of a wax-storing container provided with dispensing means. The casing is provided with a plug for its connection to the slots of an electrical socket, the prongs of the plug being permanently connected by low resistivity electrical connection to a heating mechanism essentially powered at the voltage of the mains and arranged in the receptacle facing at least one of the faces of the wax-storing container.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an applicator device for a fusible product such as depilatory wax, of those comprising a casing which can be held with one hand and is open at the upper part, delimiting a cavity which, in the form of a receptacle, receives the insertion of a wax-storing container which is provided with dispensing means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The technique of depilation by the application of a heat-fusible product, such as depilatory wax, for example, consists of melting a certain amount of this product, which at room temperature is in a solid or pasty state, and of applying a layer of the product on the area which is to be depilated. After the hardening, i.e., after the cooling, the film of cold wax is removed with aid of any suitable means, the hair then being extracted from the skin because it is bonded with the wax.
Depilatory wax applicators are currently known which are provided with an exchangeable wax container and with heating means for raising the temperature of the stored wax, which is heated until reaching the temperature suitable for keeping it liquid enough to be able to be spread.
However, in order to heat the wax it is necessary to power the heating means, therefore some of the known compact applicators, such as the one described in ES2138309T3, need an additional component, formed by a base connected to the mains and provided with converting means for providing the suitable voltage to the heating means. The base has electric terminals suitable for being connected to other complementary electric terminals provided in the applicator when the latter is coupled to the base. The heating means of the applicator are thus powered until the wax acquires the level of temperature suitable for its use; the applicator must then be separated from the base to use it.
However, this type of applicator provided with a base has drawbacks since it has electric terminals exposed both in the base and in the applicator which can easily become dirty in case molten wax is spilled and stop making good contact, requiring a periodic cleaning to be able to be effective.
Another drawback of known devices is that since the electric terminals are exposed, in order to easily connect the applicator to the base, such devices cannot meet the requirement of double electrical insulation required for being classified as Class II electrical appliances. Therefore, since they have electric parts without double insulation, the latter must have a regulated and limited voltage below 50V to be able to be marketed as Class III electrical appliances. Since they require a voltage below the one provided by the mains, the known devices must incorporate converting means, which substantially increases the final cost of the device, in addition to occupying a larger space, therefore a compact device cannot be achieved.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to disclose a more compact and cost-effective applicator.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The applicator device for fusible products of the invention, particularly depilatory wax, comprises a casing which can be held with one hand and is open at the upper part, delimiting a cavity which, in the form of a receptacle, receives the insertion of a wax-storing container which is provided with dispensing means.
The device is essentially characterized in that the casing is provided with a plug for its direct connection to the slots of an electrical socket, the prongs of the plug being permanently connected by means of low resistivity electrical connection means, such as electric cables, to heating means, essentially powered at the voltage of the mains and arranged in the receptacle facing at least one of the faces of the wax-storing container.
In a variant of interest, the heating means comprise a PTC thermistor, i.e., a resistor which is variable according to the temperature thereof, and a dissipation plate in contact with the PTC thermistor which allows homogeneously distributing the heat generate by the latter.
In another variant, the switching temperature of the PTC thermistor, i.e., the equilibrium temperature of the PTC thermistor at which its resistivity prevents the sufficient passage of electric current to allow increasing the temperature, is greater than 30° C. and less than 50° C. and more specifically, in a variant, said temperature is 40° C., a suitable temperature for the wax to be liquid enough to be easily spread, without causing burns, on the user's skin.
According to another feature, the container is parallelepiped and the surface area of the dissipation plate in contact with the container is essentially equal to the surface area of one of the faces of said container. Of course, the dissipation plate can be provided with conducting extensions surrounding the PTC thermistor to achieve conducting as much heat as possible towards the container in an effective manner.
In an embodiment of interest, the surface area of the dissipation plate is 1200 mm², the volume of the container is 25 ml and the maximum power dissipated by the PTC thermistor is 4 W, said ratios being those suitable to allow sufficiently heating the wax of the container.
In another embodiment of the device, the surface area of the dissipation plate is 2400 mm², the volume of the container is 50 ml and the maximum power dissipated by the PTC thermistor is 4 W, said ratios also being those suitable to allow sufficiently heating the wax of the container.
In another variant, the mouth of the wax-storing container is cylindrical, the mentioned mouth having a diameter of 12 to 15 mm, which allows the hot wax in a liquid or semi-liquid state to be able to flow to the dispensing means and be applied by means of the roller on the user's skin.
In a variant of interest, the device furthermore comprises first and second heat insulation means, applied in the inner and outer part of the casing, respectively, and arranged facing the heating means to prevent the heat produced by the heating means from excessively heating the casing and the user's hand during the use thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached drawings show, by way of a non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the applicator device object of the invention. In said drawings,

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a variant of the device object of the invention;

FIG. 2 a, is a rear perspective view of the variant of FIG. 1, assembled and with the wax container placed in its operative position;

FIG. 2 b is a front perspective view of the variant of FIG. 1, assembled and from which the wax container has been removed; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the applicator device for wax of FIG. 2 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The device depicted in FIG. 1 is especially intended for the application of depilatory wax. Said device comprises a casing 2, formed by two halves 2 a, 2 b, couplable according to a longitudinal plane of the device, which houses therein heating means 9 comprising a PTC thermistor 9 a and a metallic dissipation plate 9 b aiding in uniformly distributing the heat produced by the heating means 9.
Said dissipation plate 9 b is separated from the second half 2 b of the casing 2, by means of first heat insulation means 10, to prevent an excessively high level of heat from being transmitted to the second half 2 b of the casing 2 and, consequently, to prevent burns from occurring in the latter or in the user's hand when holding the device 1.
To improve the level of heat insulation, the device 1 also incorporates second heat insulation means 11 in the outer part of the second half 2 b of the casing 2 which, in addition to offering a better grip for the user's hand, prevent the heat which may be transmitted through the second half 2 b of the casing 2 from burning the user's hand or hindering the use of the device when the casing 2 is hot.
The second half 2 b of the casing 2 advantageously has securing means 10 a for fixing the first insulation means 10 on which the dissipation plate 9 b is arranged in a snap-fit manner. Said dissipation plate 9 b, together with flanges (not shown) arranged as a guide in the first half 2 a of the casing 2, forms the cavity 3 intended to receive the insertion of the wax container 4.
In order to facilitate the joining between the first and second halves 2 a, 2 b of the casing 2, the first half 2 a is provided with a series of suitably distributed housings (not shown) which act in functional correspondence with respective protrusions 13 located in the second half 2 b, the protrusions 13 being snap-fit into the housings in the coupling position. In order to secure the fitting, the second half 2 b furthermore has bent tabs 14 b suitable for being housed in projections 14 a provided in the first half 2 a of the casing 2, the device 1 being thus firmly coupled, as shown in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b.
The second half 2 b of the casing 2 furthermore has ventilation grooves 12 for allowing the exchange of air between the inside and the outside of the device 1 thus preventing an overheating of the device 1.
As can be observed in FIG. 3, when the first and second halves 2 a, 2 b of the casing 2 are joined, a cavity 3 is formed inside the device 1, with an opening 3 a at the upper part thereof, delimited by the dissipation plate 9 b and the casing 2, which allow tightly fitting a wax container 4. Said wax container 4 is provided at its upper part with a mouth 4 a connected to dispensing means 5 comprising a roller 5 a to allow the exit of the wax from the inside of the container 4 and the spreading of the wax on the user's skin when the latter is sufficiently hot.
The PTC thermistor 9 a has electrical connection means 9 c which in the depicted variant are formed by electric cables sheathed with protective plastic material and connected to the prongs 7 arranged in the plug 6. Said plug 6 is located in the rear part of the second half 2 b of the casing 2 and is permanently fit into the slots of an electrical socket of those usually known, thus powering the PTC thermistor 9 a at the voltage of the mains. Of course, the PTC thermistor 9 a has to be properly designed to correctly withstand the mains voltages of each region, a maximum operating voltage therefore being determined which, in the depicted variant, is 230V. The morphology of the plug must also be adapted according to the electrical sockets available in each region, the depicted variant being suitable for Type C European sockets. In any case, the plug 6 is integrated in the casing 2 and allows the direct connection of the device 1 to the mains.
As known in the state of the art, the PTC thermistor 9 a increases its resistivity proportionally to its temperature, producing heat by the Joule effect until reaching an equilibrium temperature, after which its resistivity is high enough to not allow the passage of electric current and therefore produce heat, the PTC thermistor 9 a being stabilized at said equilibrium temperature. For the correct operation of the device, it is necessary for the equilibrium temperature of the PTC thermistor 9 a to be above the room temperature and to be suitable for melting the wax of the container 4, such that the wax can be easily spread by means of the dispensing means 5 on the user's skin, without causing burns.
For the use of the device 1, a wax container 4, to which the dispensing means 5 have been previously coupled in its mouth 4 a, must be introduced in the cavity 3, and the device 1 must be plugged into the mains such that the heating means 9 heat the wax until the desired level. When the wax is sufficiently hot and after unplugging it from the mains and holding it with one hand, the molten wax can be applied.
The device 1 is furthermore reusable, because when the wax of the container 4 is used up, since the latter is detachable, the user can remove the empty container 4 and replace it with another full one, being able to reuse the device 1 for successive wax applications.
Advantageously, since all the electrical connections are insulated from the user during the wax heating process, the device 1 meets the safety requirements to be directly powered at the voltage of the mains, without requiring a transformer for reducing said voltage, a compact and cost-effective applicator device 1 for wax therefore being achieved.

Claims

1. An applicator device for fusible products, particularly for depilatory wax, comprising a casing which can be held with one hand and is open at the upper part, delimiting a cavity which, in the form of a receptacle, receives the insertion of a wax-storing container provided with dispensing means, characterized in that the casing is provided with a plug for its connection to the slots of an electrical socket, the prongs of the plug being permanently connected by means of low resistivity electrical connection means to heating means, essentially powered at the voltage of the mains and arranged in the receptacle facing at least one of the faces of the wax-storing container.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating means comprise a PTC thermistor and a dissipation plate.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the switching temperature of the PTC thermistor is greater than 30° C. and less than 50° C.

4. The applicator device according to claim 3, characterized in that the switching temperature of the PTC thermistor is 40° C.

5. The applicator device according to claim 2, characterized in that the container is parallelepiped and the surface area of the dissipation plate is essentially equal to the surface area of one of the faces of said container.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the surface area of the dissipation plate is 1200 mm2, the volume of the container is 25 ml and the maximum power dissipated by the PTC thermistor is 4 W.

7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the surface area of the dissipation plate is 2400 mm2, the volume of the container is 50 ml and the maximum power dissipated by the PTC thermistor is 4 W.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mouth of the wax-storing container is cylindrical, the mentioned mouth having a diameter of 12 to 15 mm.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it furthermore comprises first and second heat insulation means applied in the inner and outer part of the casing, respectively, arranged facing the heating means.