Applicator and Cartridge for Such Applicator

Abstract

A device ( 1 ) for distributing, on a surface of a living body, a product ( 3 ) containing an active component or forming a cosmetic product, the device comprising a housing ( 15 ) and a cartridge ( 17 ), releasably coupled to the housing, wherein: —the cartridge comprises an applicator element ( 7 ) and a reservoir ( 3 ) containing said product and having a movable or deformable wall part for reducing the volume of the reservoir, wherein at least one opening ( 108 ) is provided between the reservoir and the applicator element for applying the product to the applicator element by reducing the volume of the reservoir; and —the housing comprises at least one light source ( 9 ) for radiating light through and/or alongside the cartridge and a drive for driving the movable and/or deformable wall part of the reservoir for reducing the volume of the reservoir.

1 . A device for distributing, on a surface of a living body, a product containing an active component or forming a cosmetic product, the device comprising a housing and a cartridge, releasably coupled to the housing, wherein:
 the cartridge comprises an applicator element and a reservoir containing said product and having a movable or deformable wall part for reducing the volume of the reservoir, wherein at least one opening is provided between the reservoir and the applicator element for applying the product to the applicator element by reducing the volume of the reservoir; and   the housing comprises at least one light source for radiating light through and/or alongside the cartridge and a drive for driving the movable and/or deformable wall part of the reservoir for reducing the volume of the reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator element is made of a material which is at least one of substantially hard, substantially rigid, substantially impermeable for the product and substantially non-absorbent for the product. 
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is at least partly transparent for at least part of the light emitted by the light source. 
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises a relatively small volume of product, wherein the movable and/or deformable wall is designed for reducing the volume of the reservoir to about zero and wherein the housing comprises a control unit for controlling at least the drive for reducing the volume of the reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable wall part is formed by or comprises a piston, wherein the drive preferably comprises a mechanical drive including an electric motor or piezo motor. 
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a control unit for at least controlling the drive for reducing the volume of the reservoir to substantially zero milliliter, preferably in a single dispensing cycle of less then 15 minutes, especially of less than 5 minutes, wherein the control can be set to have the drive reduce the volume in one continuous step or intermittently, including a series of dispensing steps. 
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one light guide for guiding the light from the at least one light source to an end of the light guide for transmitting the light to a surface of the skin and/or through the applicator element. 
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the applicator element is provided in and/or on the cartridge and the cartridge is provided in and/or on the housing such that during application to the skin contact between the device and the skin onto which product is to be dispensed is provided for by the applicator element only, which is part of the cartridge, wherein the cartridge is a disposable cartridge, and wherein preferably a cartridge release system is provided with which the cartridge can be released from the device without a user having to touch the cartridge. 
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided with an opening at an end into which a part of the cartridge can be inserted, said part at least comprising the reservoir, wherein at least one light guide is provided alongside at least part of said reservoir, guiding light from the light source passed the reservoir to the applicator element and/or to a position adjacent the applicator element. 
     
     
         10 . A device for dispensing a product for skin treatment, wherein the device comprises a housing and a cartridge comprising an applicator element and a product reservoir, wherein the cartridge and the housing are provided with cooperating coupling elements for releasably coupling the cartridge to the housing such that the reservoir extends at least partly inside the housing, at least the applicator element extending at least partly outside the housing for engaging skin, wherein at least one light guide is provided alongside at least part of said reservoir, guiding light from a light source provided in the housing passed at least part of the reservoir to the applicator element and/or to a position adjacent the applicator element. 
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein the applicator element is a movable element, especially a ball. 
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein the applicator element is a movable element, wherein the cartridge has a cartridge housing and a part of the applicator element extends outside the cartridge housing, wherein the reservoir is provided at a part of the cartridge housing spaced apart from the part of the applicator element extending outside the housing, wherein the reservoir has a movable wall part formed by a piston at a side facing away from the applicator element, for reducing the volume of the reservoir for forcing product from the reservoir onto the applicator element. 
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 12 , wherein the cartridge housing has a part, which part is close to and preferably in contact with an end of the at least one light guide, the said at least one part of the cartridge housing being transparent for at least part of the light during use guided through the light guide, such that light can be transmitted through the cartridge. 
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 13 , wherein the applicator element is a ball, wherein the ball is transparent for at least part of the light guided by the at least one light guide and transmitted through said transparent part of the cartridge housing. 
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises a mechanical drive comprising a motor and a drive rod movable by the motor, wherein the reservoir has a piston, said piston bounding part of the reservoir, the drive rod engaging said piston for moving the piston into the reservoir and thus reducing the reservoir volume, forcing product onto the applicator element, wherein a control unit is provided for controlling at least one of the drive and the at least one light source. 
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein the control unit is provided for at least controlling the drive for reducing the volume of the reservoir to substantially zero milliliter in a single dispensing cycle of less then 15 minutes, especially of less than 5 minutes, wherein the control can be set to have the drive reduce the volume in one continuous step or intermittently, including a series of dispensing steps of seconds each. 
     
     
         17 . A device of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is provided with a switch, activated by placement of the cartridge into the housing, for switching on the device. 
     
     
         18 . A capsule for use with a device according to  claim 1  or  claim 10 . 
     
     
         19 . A method for treatment of human skin, wherein a cartridge comprising a reservoir containing a product comprising an active skin treating component is mounted onto a housing, wherein a drive in the housing is activated for reducing the volume of the reservoir, such that the product is forced out of the reservoir onto an applicator element provided in and/or on the cartridge, with which applicator element the product is distributed over a portion of the skin to be treated without being absorbed by the applicator element, wherein during application light is emitted from the device onto the skin, for cooperating with the product dispensed in the treatment of the skin, wherein after application of the content of the reservoir onto the skin the cartridge is removed from the housing and is discarded, including the application element, such that the cartridge can be replaced by a new cartridge. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the applicator element is a ball which during treatment of the skin is rolled over the skin, whereby the skin is compressed by the applicator element and the applicator element is substantially not deformed, wherein the light is radiated onto a portion of the skin deformed by the ball. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the applicator element is a ball which during treatment of the skin is rolled over the skin, whereby a portion of the ball is substantially the only contact between the device and the skin, and wherein the cartridge is discarded without being touched by a user.