U.S. patent application number 10/485290 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-02 for sticker for the application of hair and the like and related method of manufacturing.
Invention is credited to Gold, David Anthony.
Application Number | 20040237987 10/485290 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11455698 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040237987 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gold, David Anthony |
December 2, 2004 |
Sticker for the application of hair and the like and related method
of manufacturing
Abstract
A sticker for the application of hair is very easy to apply and
very comfortable for the user and it comprises adhesive laminar
support, anti allergic and transpiring, having a first side wherein
hair is ran into and a second side suitable to be directly adhered
on skin. The related manufacturing process comprises the steps of:
providing of an adhesive laminar support, anti allergenic and
transpiring; providing a quantity of hair in proximity to this
laminar support, each hair having an end apt to be run into said
laminar support; and generating an electrostatic field at the
laminar support so as to positioning said ends against the laminar
support, causing them to run into the laminar support.
Inventors: |
Gold, David Anthony; (Nepi,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEFFERT JAY & POLGLAZE, P.A.
P.O. BOX 581009
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55458-1009
US
|
Family ID: |
11455698 |
Appl. No.: |
10/485290 |
Filed: |
July 7, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
July 29, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB02/02938 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/201 ;
132/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G 5/0033
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/201 ;
132/053 |
International
Class: |
A41G 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2001 |
IT |
RM2001A000460 |
Claims
1. A sticker (10) for the application of hair comprising an
adhesive laminar support (1) made of adhesive material,
antiallergenic and transpiring, which comprises a first side
wherein a plurality of hair (12) has been run into and a second
side apt to be directly stuck to the skin.
2. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, provided with a removable
film (2) adhered to the second side to be removed before
application.
3. The sticker (10) according to claim 2, wherein the removable
film is made of silicone paper.
4. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, wherein the laminar
support has a thickness between 0.02 mm and 1.00 mm.
5. The sticker (10) according to claim 4, wherein the thickness is
between) 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.
6. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive
material is water based acrylic material.
7. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, wherein this adhesive is
mixed with air dispersed in small bubbles so that the laminar
support has a plurality craters (15) in a discontinuous
arrangement.
8. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, wherein the laminar
support has a tapering (17) at the borders thereof.
9. The sticker (10) according to claim 8, wherein said tapering is
applied to the curved borders thereof.
10. The sticker (10) according to claim 1, wherein on the laminar
support there are soft flock fibers.
11. A method for the manufacturing of a sticker for the application
of hair, comprising the steps of: providing of an adhesive laminar
support (1), anti allergenic and transpiring, made of a layer of an
adhesive material, on a support plane (2); providing a quantity of
hair (6) in proximity to this laminar support (1), each hair having
an end apt to be run into said laminar support (1); and generating
an electrostatic field at the laminar support (1) so as to position
said ends against the laminar support (1), causing them to run into
the laminar support (1).
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of
generation of an electrostatic field comprises a flocking
process.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the flocking process
is carried out in a flocking apparatus (3).
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said quantity of hair
is mixed with an amount of soft flocking fibers.
15. The method according to claim 11, comprising a subsequent step
of combing and/or carding.
16. The method according to claim 11, comprising a subsequent step
of calendering.
17. The method according to claim 11, wherein this said support
plane is made of a removable film (2) adhered to the adhesive
material, to be eliminated before the application.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein this removable film
(2) is made of silicone paper.
19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the removable film
(2) and the laminar support (1) are cut in stickers suitable to be
stuck to the skin.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the laminar support
(1) has a thickness between 0.02 mm and 1.00 mm.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein this thickness is
between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.
22. The method according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive material
is water based acrylic material.
23. The method according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive material
is mixed with air dispersed in small bubbles.
24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the laminar support
(1) is adhered on parts of the removable film (2).
25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the laminar support
is obtained through a silk-screen printing process.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the silk-screen
printing is carried out with a silk-screen pad having a silk
density between 43 and 120 yarns.
Description
[0001] This invention is generally referred to the field of hair or
similar application to solve, for example, baldness problems and it
is specifically based on an adhesive for the application of hair or
similar and on a the related manufacturing process.
[0002] In beauty field there are several systems of hair
application such as wigs or through the sticking to the skin or to
the scalp of a sheet shaped base having hair projecting from a face
thereof.
[0003] The base can be of various nature: it can be made for
example of tissue or plastic. To fix this base to the skin or to
the scalp, it is necessary to use an adhesive that can have
different shapes but that, anyway, since it is directly in touch
with the skin, has not to cause allergy, has to be transpiring and
has to allow hair growth.
[0004] This kind of sticker is for example disclosed in FR
2,295,708 and a related manufacturing process is disclosed in DE
3126605.
[0005] Basically the adhesive can be provided in a quantity to be
directly spread on skin and/or on the inner part of the base or as
bi-adhesive tape.
[0006] The presence of the base and the adhesive cannot often be so
comfortable both for the weight on skin and because it, the whole
support usually covering a wide portion of skin and being stuck at
several points, can cause itch or other troubles.
[0007] Another problem related to these applications, is the care
and labour to manufacture these bases on which there are uniformly
inserted hair.
[0008] In fact, to insert each hair to the base it is necessary to
use sewing techniques, very heavy in terms of time, or glues not
leading to good results in view of the risk to stick hair.
[0009] The technical problem at the root of the present invention
is to provide a sticker for hair application that exceeds all the
drawbacks mentioned with reference to the prior art.
[0010] The problem is solved by a sticker for the application of
hair comprising an adhesive laminar support made of adhesive
material, antiallergenic and transpiring, which comprises a first
side wherein a plurality of hair has been run into and a second
side apt to be directly stuck to the skin.
[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the adhesive according
to the invention has a removable film put on the second side to be
eliminated before the application, for example silicone-made as the
one used to protect self-sticking labels.
[0012] The main advantage of the sticker according to the present
invention is that hair directly stuck to the skin without the
above-mentioned support.
[0013] The present invention is also referred to a manufacturing
process for the above defined sticker, comprising the steps of:
[0014] providing of an adhesive laminar support, anti allergenic
and transpiring, made of a layer of an adhesive material, on a
support plane;
[0015] providing a quantity of hair in proximity to this laminar
support, each hair having an end apt to be run into said laminar
support;
[0016] generating an electrostatic field at the laminar support so
as to positioning said ends against the laminar support, causing
them to run into the laminar support.
[0017] The advantage of the manufacturing process according to the
invention is the elimination of the manual application of hair on a
support.
[0018] The present invention is hereinafter described according to
some preferred embodiments thereof, provided for an exemplary and
non limiting purpose with reference to the following examples and
to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1A is a schematic and partially sectioned view of a
flocking apparatus used in the process according to the
invention;
[0020] FIG. 1B is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a different
operative step;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sticker according to the
invention in a following step of said process;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a detail that illustrates an
alternative embodiment of the process according to the
invention;
[0023] FIG. 4A shows a first step of said alternative
embodiment;
[0024] FIG. 4B shows a second step of said alternative
embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sticker obtained through
said alternative embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the process according
to the invention;
[0027] FIG. 7 shows a following step of the process according to
the invention;
[0028] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of another procedure the
process of the first embodiment;
[0029] FIG. 8B is a section view of a sticker manufactured through
said procedure; and
[0030] FIGS. 9A and 9B show two steps of sticker application.
[0031] In order to better explain some different manufacturing
modes of the sticker according to the invention, some different
process embodiments will be described, the process also being
related to the same innovative concept.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in a first embodiment of
manufacturing process, a laminar support 1 made of adhesive
material is provided on a support plane which is made in particular
of a removable film 2, for example obtained in silicone-based paper
of the kind used to protect self-sticking labels or in an
equivalent material.
[0033] The adhesive material doesn't cause allergy and it is
transpiring.
[0034] The laminar support 1 and the removable film 2 are then
treated according to a process of flocking called as velveting
process, carried out with a flocking apparatus 3 which is
schematically depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0035] The film 2 is put on a first electrostatic plate 4 to which
can be given, according to techniques known in the art and not
disclosed herein, an electric charge, in particular a negative
charge.
[0036] Above the plate 4 there is a closed space surrounded by a
case 5 wherein it is let in a quantity of hair 6, preferably but
not exclusively natural hair 6, having lengths necessarily non
fixed but not too different than an average length, in the shape of
segments of a length from few millimetres to few centimetres.
[0037] Together with hair, an amount of soft flocking fibres is put
on this space, as those usually employed for the production of
chamois-tissues and velvet.
[0038] Hence, hair have two ends and one of these end will be run
into the adhesive laminar support under process.
[0039] Hair are kept on excitation and suspension for example
through an air flow. The case 5 has a further and second
electrostatic plate 7 that, together with the previous mentioned
one, generates an electrostatic field at the laminar support 1,
whereby positioning said ends against the laminar support 1 and
causing them to run into the laminar support 1 itself.
[0040] According to the flocking process, said hair are
electrostatically charged and thrown down the laminar support 1.
The electrostatic field and the charge of hair allow hair to be on
a vertical position so that one end is run into the laminar support
1.
[0041] The same process acts on the flocking fibres filling all the
spaces empty from hair, the latter being larger. In this way the so
treated surface of the laminar support 1 assumes a soft
compactness.
[0042] At the end of this step of running into, hair can be combed
and carded (FIG. 2) in order to confer to hair a fixed orientation
and to eliminate all the excessive and non perfectly inserted
hair.
[0043] A further preferred embodiment refers to a calendering,
preferably a hot-calendering, to confer to hair a modelled
orientation, partings and so on.
[0044] At the end of this step, the sticker 10 is substantially
ready to be used. The so treated laminar support 1 is formed by a
first side 11, into hair have been ran, and a second side 13 that
can be stuck to the skin.
[0045] The laminar support 1 and the removable film 2 can be a
rectangular paper or a roll. In this case the above-mentioned
apparatus may work continuously according to techniques well known
to the man skilled in the art.
[0046] When hair are satisfactorily stuck to the laminar support 1,
it is possible to obtain stickers from the laminar support 1 and
from the removable film 2, suitable to be applied to the skin.
[0047] These stickers (FIGS. 9A and 9B) will preferably be small
sized stickers to prevent waves during adhesion. They can have
every shape through cutting or punching of the laminar support and
the removable film.
[0048] They can have striped, arched, semicircle, circle, oval and
elliptic shapes. They can be simply and directly stuck to skin,
simply taking off the removable film and adhering the opened side
of the laminar support to the skin.
[0049] All the shapes can be pre-formed but also they can be formed
at the moment, cutting the adhesive sheet according the invention
following a preferred shape (FIG. 7).
[0050] Advantageously, the laminar support 1 has a small thickness,
for example from 0,02 mm to 1,00 mm but preferably between 0,05 mm
and 0,50 mm. The application techniques for applying the adhesive
material to the removable film can be for example offset printing
technique and silk-screen process.
[0051] According to a variation of the manufacturing process,
influencing directly sticker structure, the adhesive can be of
acrylic and water based material.
[0052] Furthermore, the adhesive material can be mixed with air
dispersed in small bubbles. When the laminar support is put on the
removable film, the small bubbles or part of them explode causing
many craters 15 and a discontinuous positioning of the adhesive
material on the laminar support 1.
[0053] This arrangement increases the transpiration of the adhesive
and its capacity of growth of hair through its thickness.
[0054] According to another variation of the process and with the
above-mentioned flocking process, the laminar base is stuck to
defined parts 16 of the removable film 2 so that the shape of the
adhesive is not determined by cutting but it is pre-formed before
the hair application.
[0055] In this connection, it is possible to use a silk-screen
process or an equivalent process to print the parts of laminar
support on the removable film. Through these techniques it is
possible to give to the borders of each parts a tapering 17 that's
to say a progressive reduction of the quantity of adhesive,
providing the following effects: on one hand hair are made thinner
in proximity to the border of the portion, simulating more
effectively the thinning of hair at the border of a hair head, and
on the other hand this arrangement makes borders less evident to
touch and sight.
[0056] By tapering, it is meant a reduction of adhesive quantity at
the borders because the silk-screen process releases on the surface
a fair quantity and which can be varied of printed adhesive in the
shape of small drops.
[0057] Advantageously, the tapering 17 can be applied only on
curved borders that's to say to the borders really placed on the
limits of hair.
[0058] To obtain this effect with silk-screen processes, it is
enough to reduce the porosity of silk-screen process pad near
borders.
[0059] It is possible to use silk-screen process loom of a variable
density from 43 to 120 yarns.
[0060] Thanks to this technique, it is possible to obtain an
arrangement of the adhesive that forms the laminar support by
craters without air through a suitable regulation of pad's
porosity.
[0061] Also the above described adhesive can be obtained in single
sheets or rolls. The single parts or groups of parts can be packed
and covered by a wrapping or by an envelope that protects the
surface of laminar support with hair.
[0062] With reference to FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B it is described a
different embodiment of the manufacturing process allowing to
obtain stickers according to the invention.
[0063] According to this second embodiment, a first electrostatic
plate 20 is provided with locks hair 21 having the same length,
connected to the plate at a lock end which, for example, can be
inserted in recesses 22 regularly distributed on the surface of the
plate 20.
[0064] To the electrostatic plate 20, it is conferred an electric
charge causing the immediate raising of hair of every single lock
21. In fact, the distal ends 23 of hair will assume the same charge
moving away from each other so that all these ends will be
positioned at a certain distance, from the plate surface,
corresponding to the hair length.
[0065] In this way the generated electrostatic field can direct
these distal ends against a laminar support 1, for example placed
facing to said electrostatic plate, with the surface thereof, freed
by the removable film side 2, so that they are run into the laminar
support 1 itself. To finish the sticker 10, at this point it is
enough to cut every lock 21 at the level of the electrostatic plate
and to comb and card the so obtained hair deposition.
[0066] This method can be applied to every kind of the
above-mentioned stickers: with an uniform and continuous placing of
laminar support or with a placing by portions, in every
embodiment.
[0067] The described method allows to apply hair of different
lengths, for example it is possible to put shorter hair at the
borders of the sticker parts.
[0068] It is also meant that the sticker can be manufactured
through a manufacturing process non implying an electrostatic
system. Hair can be put on the right position, run into the laminar
support, through a mechanical process with particular combs or
through a manual process (FIG. 6).
[0069] In this case the laminar support is provided on a removable
film in turn placed on a fixed surface plate. The length of hair
run into the laminar support can be adjusted before or after their
application.
[0070] As for the application of the above described stickers, they
can provided in small parts to be put side by side on the skin of
the user, realizing a sort of mosaic; their application is
therefore quick and easy and it is not necessary to use further
substances or tools.
[0071] The ends of hair run into the laminar support are put
substantially in contact with the skin itself, to which it is only
added the minimum thickness of the laminar support itself.
[0072] The result is extraordinarily similar to those of the
percutaneous transplantation but without the uneasiness related to
that application.
[0073] Since the adhesive is thin, light and transpiring, it
doesn't cause sensations of inconvenience, too much weight or
itch.
[0074] The effect to the touch is almost slight. The advantage is
that the sticker of the laminar support is transparent or almost
transparent so that it can have the colour of the skin.
[0075] The above-mentioned sticker has also a lasting application
but it can be removed and easily changed simply peeling the
adhesive from skin.
[0076] For this reason the adhesive will be removable.
[0077] With reference to the above described method, it allows a
continuous production of stickers for the application of hair
reducing to minimum the manual intervention.
[0078] In a single solution it is possible to produce stickers of
the desired shapes, even different to each other, for example in a
single kit suitable to be used by a single user.
[0079] If, during flocking, hair of different colours are mixed, we
can have automatically a mches effect.
[0080] To the above described stickers for the application of hair
and to the related manufacturing process, a man skilled in the art,
to achieve different and contingent needs, can provide
modifications or changes, in any case all included within the
protection scope of the present invention as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *