U.S. patent application number 11/695033 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-04 for self-adhesive eyelashes extension set.
Invention is credited to Sophy Merszei.
Application Number | 20070227550 11/695033 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38557054 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070227550 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Merszei; Sophy |
October 4, 2007 |
SELF-ADHESIVE EYELASHES EXTENSION SET
Abstract
A self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit attaches to a subject
wearer's existing natural eyelashes to modify their appearance. The
unit is preferably applied as a set of units to opposite sides of a
wearer's natural eyelash. Each unit includes an array of artificial
lash hairs each lash hair having a base and a tip, the hairs
aligned in the array with their bases in a substantially common
direction; a support strip having an adhesive-receiving surface and
a leading edge, the strip made of polyurethane and having the bases
of the hairs of the array of artificial lash hairs embedded in the
polyurethane of the leading edge of the support strip; and an
adhesive disposed on the adhesive-receiving surface of the support
strip, the adhesive releaseably attachable to the existing natural
eyelashes of the wearer to provide for cosmetically altering the
appearance of the wearer's natural eyelashes.
Inventors: |
Merszei; Sophy; (Houston,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOETTELI & ASSOCIATES SARL
ST. LEONHARDSTRASSE 4
ST. GALLEN
CH-9000
omitted
|
Family ID: |
38557054 |
Appl. No.: |
11/695033 |
Filed: |
April 1, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60744131 |
Apr 2, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G 5/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/53 |
International
Class: |
A41G 3/00 20060101
A41G003/00 |
Claims
1. A self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit attachable to a subject
wearer's existing natural eyelashes to modify their appearance, the
unit comprising: an array of artificial lash hairs each lash hair
having a base and a tip, the hairs aligned in the array with their
bases in a substantially common direction; a support strip having
an adhesive-receiving surface and a leading edge, the strip made of
polyurethane and having the bases of the hairs of the array of
artificial lash hairs embedded in the polyurethane of the leading
edge of the support strip; and an adhesive disposed on the
adhesive-receiving surface of the support strip, the adhesive
releaseably attachable to the existing natural eyelashes of the
wearer to provide for cosmetically extending the length appearance
of the wearer's natural eyelashes.
2. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the adhesive is a silicone-based adhesive.
3. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the adhesive is type which is mechanically interlocking.
4. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the adhesive is a mechanically interlocking type of adhesive.
5. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the adhesive is distributed intermittently across the surface
6. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
for at least one of the matched pair, not the entire surface is
covered with adhesive.
7. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the strip is made of different colors and be of differing sizes
according to the desire of the wearer.
8. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the strip is embedded with a metallic glitter, according to the
desire of the wearer.
9. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the non-adhesive surface of the strip is printed with a device
selected from a group of devices including text, a logo, and an
image.
10. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
such strip is embedded with a material with absorbs light energy
and emits the absorbed light at a predetermined level or rate, such
that when ambient light level is lower than the emission rate, the
strip is luminated.
11. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the array of lash hairs comprises individual lash hairs being at
least two different colors.
12. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash unit of claim 1, wherein
the support strips are luminescent.
13. A self-adhesive artificial eyelash set, the set comprising a
first and second matched eyelash extension unit according to claim
1, the first unit adapted for attachment on an upper side of a
natural lash, and the second unit adapted for attachment on an
underside of a natural lash, the first unit having a bottom
adhesive surface, and the second unit having an upper adhesive
surface, wherein the first and second units are adapted to be
disposed on opposite sides of a wearer's natural lashes and adhere
together upon being pressed together.
14. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 13, wherein
one of the matched pairs of units does not have any adhesive and
relies on the adhesive present on the matched unit, passing between
natural lashes, and contacting the surface of the unit, to retain
the assembly together.
15. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 13, wherein
the adhesive is a silicone-based adhesive.
16. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 13, wherein
the adhesive is type which is mechanically interlocking.
17. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 16, wherein
the mechanically interlocking type of adhesive is a hook-and-loop
type mechanically interlocking adhesive.
18. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 13, wherein
the adhesive is distributed intermittently across the surface
19. The self-adhesive artificial eyelash set of claim 13, wherein
for at least one of the matched pair, not the entire surface is
covered with adhesive.
20. A method of attaching a artificial eyelash unit of claim 1 into
a set, the method comprising the steps of aligning above and below
a wearers natural lashes and pressing together to sandwich the
natural lashes therebetween.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of prior filed U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/744,131, filed 2 Apr.
2006, which is fully incorporated herein by reference, and to which
prior application the present application is a U.S. utility
application.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is in the field of cosmetic materials.
More specifically, the present invention relates to personal
grooming and to artificial eyelashes adapted for attachment onto
hair growing from an eyelid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The cosmetic use of artificial eyelashes by persons in the
making of their toilet is old in the art. Typically, eyelash sets
comprise left and right arrays of lash hairs held together on an
adhesive strip, and the array is attached to the skin of the upper
eyelid of the wearer to cosmetically extend the length of the
wearer's natural eyelashes. The individual hairs of the array are
aligned with their bases in a substantially common direction. The
bases of the lash hairs are embedded in the support strip,
preferably in its leading edge. It is known in the art how to
produce, select, sculpt and arrange the individual hairs of the
array to provide various aesthetically desirable configurations of
the array in combination with the support strip.
[0004] As noted above, prior art artificial eye lashes typically
are applied to the skin of the wearer. I would be beneficial to
have an alternative that does not attach to or contact the skin of
the wearer. A benefit of this a reduced risk that the wearer would
be exposed to the solvents or other chemicals in the adhesive and
mounting strip of the eyelash strip. Additionally, if it is desired
to regular the adherence of the artificial eyelash by the
application of pressure to the adhesive, it would be beneficial to
be able to avoid applying the pressure directly to the tissue
(i.e., eyelid and/or eyeball) of the wearer. I would also be
beneficial in the field to be able to remove and reapply the
artificial eyelash strips.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is a self-adhesive artificial eyelash
unit that attaches to a subject wearer's existing natural eyelashes
to modify their appearance. The unit is preferably applied as a
left and right set of units, with the left and the right sets
including an upper unit and optionally including a lower unit. The
left and right sets correspond to the wearer's left and right eyes.
The upper and lower units of a set correspond to the upper and
lower surfaces of a wearer's natural eyelashes. Each unit includes
an array of artificial lash hairs, each lash hair having a base and
a tip. Preferably, the artificial lash hairs are sculpted, in that
the base of the individual lash hair is thicker than its tip. The
lash hairs are somewhat spaced apart in the array with their bases
in a common direction relative to a support strip. The bases are
received in the support strip, preferably at its leading edge. The
support strip has an adhesive-receiving surface on which an
adhesive is disposed. In the embodiments illustrated, the support
strip was made of polyurethane and had the bases of the hairs of
the array of artificial lash hairs embedded in the polyurethane of
the leading edge of the support strip. An adhesive is disposed on
the adhesive-receiving surface of the support strip. The adhesive
releaseably attaches the support strip to the existing natural
eyelashes of the wearer to provide for cosmetically altering the
appearance of the wearer's natural eyelashes. The adhesive may be
supplied in place on a unit and covered with a removable protective
covering, or may be separately applied to the adhesive receiving
surface by the wearer just prior to use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a self-adhesive artificial
eyelash extensions set of the present invention, consisting of a
pair of lash extension unit: an upper unit and a lower unit.
[0007] FIG. 2 is side view of a self-adhesive artificial eyelash
extension set of the present invention installed on a subject
wearer's existing natural eyelashes.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a front view of a self-adhesive artificial eyelash
extension set of the present invention positioned to be installed
on a subject wearer's existing natural eyelashes.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the
invention in which adhesive is applied intermittently.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0010] Referring now to the drawings, the details of the
embodiments of the present invention are graphically and
schematically illustrated. Like elements in the drawings are
represented by like numbers, and any similar elements are
represented by like numbers with a different lower case letter
suffix.
[0011] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention is
self-adhering artificial eyelashes extensions 10 for attachment to
a subject wearer's existing natural eyelashes 60 (see FIGS. 3 and
4) to provide the cosmetic appearance of natural looking longer and
fuller eyelashes, or alternatively, fanciful eyelashes. An
eyelashes extension unit 14 is made up of an array 18 of artificial
lash hairs 20, each lash hair 20 having a base 22 and a tip 23. The
individual hairs 20 of the array 18 are aligned with their bases 22
in a substantially common direction relative to a support strip 26.
The bases 22 of the lash hairs 20 are embedded in the support strip
26, preferably in its leading edge 34. It is known in the art how
to produce, select, sculpt and arrange the individual hairs 20 of
the array 18 to provide various aesthetically desirable
configurations of the array 18 in combination with the support
strip 26.
[0012] In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, the
support strip 26 of the lash extension unit 14 is made of
polyurethane. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the support
strip 26 has a top surface 28, a bottom surface 30 and a leading
edge 34. The bases 22 of the lash hairs 20 of the artificial lash
hair array 18 are embedded in the polyurethane of the leading edge
34 of the support strip 26. On any lash extension unit 14, one of
the surfaces 28, 30 of the support strip 26 is also an adhesive
surface 36 disposed to receive a film or a layer 40 of an adhesive
42.
[0013] The adhesive 42 disposed on the adhesive surface 40 of a
support strip 26 enables the strip 26 of the lash extension unit 14
with its array 18 of artificial lash hairs 20 to be releaseably
adhered to the existing natural lashes 60 of the wearer.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive 42 is a
silicone-based composition. However, other adhesive compositions
are known to and are selectable by one of ordinary skill in the
art. For example, a heat or light cured self-adhering composition
may be particularly advantageous.
[0015] Attaching a present self-adhering artificial eyelashes
extensions unit 14 to the existing natural eyelashes 60 of the
wearer provides for cosmetically extending the length of the
wearer's natural eyelashes 60.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, the
present self-adhering artificial eyelashes extensions are provided
as a matched set of two units 14, the set being made up of an upper
unit 14a for attachment to the top side of the existing natural
eyelashes 60 on a wearer's upper eyelid 68, and an lower unit 14b
for attaching to the bottom side of the same eyelashes. In this
embodiment, the self-adhesive artificial eyelash extension set 10
comprises two support strips, one being an upper unit support strip
26a and the other being a lower unit support strip 26b, the upper
unit support strip 26a has a bottom adhesive surface 36a, and the
lower unit support strip 26b has an upper adhesive surface 36b.
[0017] In using the present invention, the wearer's existing
natural lashes 60 (e.g., of the wearer's upper eyelid) are
sandwiched between the upper and lower lash hair units 14a &
14b of a lash extension set 10 of the present invention. The
self-adhering adhesives 42 of the two lash hair extension units 14a
& 14b come into contact and bond the two adhesive layers
together with the wearer's existing natural lashes 60 disposed
between them. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive 42 is contact
sensitive. However, pressure sensitive and heat or light setting
adhesives may be practiced in the present invention, if the
adhesive effect can be released to enable removal of the artificial
lash extension units.
[0018] Referring now to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, the adhesive
42 is distributed intermittently across the adhesive-receiving
surface, or in a pattern 43, such that, for at least one of the
matched pair, not the entire surface is covered with adhesive. The
disposition of the adhesive 42 in such a pattern 43 can help
optimize the adhering characteristics of the upper and lower
matched set, together making it easier to remove such artificial
units 14 or makes them more permanent, according to the desire of
the wearer or the cosmetician. For example, the adhesive pattern 43
may be strips 44 of adhesive parallel to and aligned with the hairs
20 having non-adhesive spaces 46 in between of a width comparable
to that of the adhesive strip width (e.g., the width of four human
hairs), thereby allowing a cosmetician or the wearer to simply
offset one unit with respect to another in order to control the
amount of adhering force, thereby eliminating the need for a large
stock of eyelash units 14 having a varying amount of adhesive
42.
[0019] In another embodiment, one of the matched pairs of units 14
does not have any adhesive 42 and relies on the adhesive present on
the matched unit, passing between natural lashes 60, and contacting
the surface of the unit, to retain the assembly together.
[0020] Although it is the primary intent of the invention to
provide a artificial eyelash unit 14 or lash set 10 that enhances a
wearer's eyelashes 60 such that they appear natural, fuller, longer
and consequently, more attractive, the invention allows for a
departure from this usual goal, without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention. In other words, although the
polyurethane strip 26 is generally made dark or clear and the
artificial lashes 20 of a natural color, the strip 26 may even be
made of different colors and be of differing sizes according to the
desire of the wearer. Such strip 26 may even embedded with a
metallic glitter, according to the desire of the wearer. Further,
text may be printed on the non-adhesive surface of the strip 26,
such as the trademark of the manufacturer, or a phrase or
expression invoking a theme, perhaps even including the name of the
wearer. Such strip 26 may optionally be embedded with a material
with absorbs light energy and emits the absorbed light at a
predetermined level or rate, such that when ambient light level is
lower than the emission rate, the strip 26 is ruminated. Further,
the self-adhering artificial eyelashes extensions 10 may be made up
of artificial eyelashes 20 of a fanciful color, like gold or
silver, or some other color, and may be luminescent as well. The
array 18 may be homogeneous or include a pattern of different color
eyelashes 20, randomly mixed, alternating one to the other, or set
in groups of lashes of different colors.
[0021] In another embodiment, the attachment may be accomplished by
mechanically interlocking the units to each other (and to the
natural eyelashes) using a suitable loop-and-hook combination
(e.g., a VELCRO.TM.-type combination), wherein each matched strip
26 has a complementary mechanical structure which engages with a
corresponding mechanical structure of the matching strip 26 as well
as with the natural lashes 60 themselves.
[0022] In an advantage, the invention provides an artificial
eyelash that enhances a wearer's eyelashes 60 such that they appear
natural, fuller and consequently, more attractive. This is due to
the fact that sandwiching of the natural lash 60 between two
artificial lash units 14 that better cover the natural lashes,
thereby making them appear more consistent and fuller.
[0023] In another advantage, the level of permanence of such
eyelash assembly 10 may be controlled by controlling the amount or
pattern of adhesive on the eyelash strips 26.
[0024] In another advantage, a wearer may select from a wide
variety of appearance from a natural appearance to a fanciful
appearance.
[0025] In another advantage, the invention conveys a desired
message by permitting printing on the eyelash strip 26.
[0026] While the above description contains many specifics, these
should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the
invention, but rather as exemplifications of one or another
preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible,
which would be obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the
scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the
appended claims and their equivalents, and not just by the
embodiments.
* * * * *