FAUX EYELASH RETAINING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

A systemic retaining tray for prepackaging faux eyelashes and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. Each retaining tray provides a plurality of spaced apart gutters formed into a tray substrate, each gutter provides a row of spaced apart communicating notches. First a double-sided adhesive tape substantially fills and adheres to the bottom of each notch but not the remaining portion of the gutter. Then a proximal end of a faux eyelash is attached to the portion of the double-sided adhesive tape filling each notch. Finally, a single-sided adhesive strip is lain over the row of notches sandwiching the proximal portions of each faux eyelash.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to cosmetic accessories and, more particularly, to a faux eyelash retaining system and method of manufacturing the same.

[0002] The traditional method of retaining fake eyelash products for subsequent use is to utilize glue to adhere each faux eyelash, hand by hand, on a tray. With this method, from time to time, human error results in the form of too much glue being applied to the faux eyelashes, damaging products and/or making it too difficult for the end user to remove fake eyelashes from the tray. Such an error wastes times as each faux eyelash needs to be fixed by hand. Likewise, such errors are difficult to detect during pre-sale quality control processes because of the miniature nature of faux eyelashes and the configuration of the retaining tray.

[0003] Even when current manufactures use liquid glue to attach fake eyelashes onto the retaining tray by first dipping fake eyelashes into the liquid glue, human error still creeps into the mix through users dipping too much or too little glue. If too little glue is dipped prior to application to the retaining tray the faux eyelash product will fall from the tray, especially through the handling and transporting of the retaining trays when they move from the manufacture to the retailer.

[0004] As can be seen, there is a need for a faux eyelash retaining system and method of manufacturing the same that embodies the use of double-sided adhesive tape/single-sided adhesive tape/paper to attach the fake eyelashes onto a novel retaining tray design. Since each glue tape has a predetermined amount of adhesive/glue, the possibility of applying too much glue is eliminated, thereby preventing over-gluing damage, while maintaining the easy-to-remove manner for the end-user when removing the faux eyelashes from the retaining tray. As a corollary, no wasted time is consumed in fixing or quality-controlling for glue-quantity errors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, a system for removably retaining faux eyelashes includes a substrate; one or more elongated gutters recessed along the substrate, each elongated gutter defined by a first edge and an opposing second edge; and for each elongate gutter: a plurality of spaced apart notches recessed along the substrate so that each notch communicates with the first edge and the elongated gutter, whereby for each notch, a portion of a faux eyelash could be sandwiched between a first adhesive and a single-sided adhesive strip.

[0006] In another aspect of the present invention, the system for removably retaining faux eyelashes includes a substrate; one or more elongated gutters recessed along the substrate, each elongated gutter defined by a first edge and an opposing second edge; for each elongate gutter: a plurality of spaced apart notches recessed along the substrate so that each notch communicates with the first edge and the elongated gutter; a double-sided adhesive strip extending along the substrate along the first edge so as to operatively engage at least a portion of a notch base of each notch; and a single-sided adhesive strip having a single adhesive surface, the single adhesive surface operatively engaging the double-sided adhesive strip along the substrate, whereby for each notch, a portion of a faux eyelash could be sandwiched between the first adhesive and a single-sided adhesive strip.

[0007] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of retaining a plurality of faux eyelash in a tray includes providing the above-mentioned substrate for each elongate gutter: placing a double-sided adhesive strip along the substrate so that the double-sided adhesive strip operatively engages at least a portion of a notch base of each notch; placing a proximal portion of each faux eyelash in one of the plurality of spaced apart notches; and placing a single-sided adhesive strip so as to operatively sandwich each proximal portion against the double-sided adhesive strip.

[0008] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a first inventive step;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a detailed top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a second inventive step;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a detailed top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a third inventive step;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

[0013] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0015] Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides systemic retaining trays for prepackaging faux eyelashes and a method of manufacturing the same. Each retaining tray provides a plurality of spaced apart gutters formed into a tray substrate, each gutter provides a row of spaced apart communicating notches. First a double-sided adhesive tape substantially fills and adheres to the bottom of each notch but not the remaining portion of the gutter. Then a proximal end of a faux eyelash is attached to the portion of the double-sided adhesive tape filling each notch. Finally, a single-sided adhesive strip is lain over the row of notches sandwiching the proximal portions of each faux eyelash.

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, the present invention may include a method of manufacturing systemic prepackaged trays 10 of faux eyelashes 20. Each systemic prepackaged tray 10 provides a generally planar substrate 12. Each substrate 12 provides at least one, but typically a plurality of spaced apart, gutters 16 or elongated indentations of typically uniform depth, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. Please note that the substrate 12 and the gutters need not be any shape, need not be any necessary dimensions, need not even be planar or of uniform depth, respectively, as long as the substrate 12 and the gutters 16 function in accordance with the present invention as described herein.

[0017] Each gutter 16 generally provides two opposing edges 26 where the gutter 16 and substrate 12 interface, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Spaced apart along one of the two edges 26a and 26n are a plurality of notches 14, the edge providing the notches 14 having the reference numeral of 26n. Said notches 14 may have a U-shape with the open end communicating with the gutter 16, and in certain embodiments the same depth cut into the substrate 12 as the associated gutter 16. Though, similar to the immediately above paragraph, the shape and depth of the notches 14 may vary from embodiment to embodiment as long as the notches 14 function in accordance with the present invention as described herein.

[0018] The systemic prepackaged tray 10 may include one or more double-sided adhesive strips or sheets 18 typically having an elongated shape defining a first longitudinal edge 28. Each double-sided adhesive sheet 18 may have an upper adhesive surface 18a and an opposing a lower adhesive surface 18b. It is understood that in certain embodiments, the double-sided adhesive sheet 18 may have only one truly surface (e.g., the upper adhesive surface 18a), while the opposing surface is adhered to the substrate 12/notch 14 through some other adhering mechanism, not just glue. The systemic prepackaged tray 10 provides that each first longitudinal edge 28 generally aligns with the notch edge 26n so that each double-sided adhesive sheet 18 overlaps the plurality of notches 14 along the respective notch edge 26n, the upper adhesive surface 18a facing outwardly, or at least overlaps a substantial portion of each notch 14, for example at least 50%.

[0019] The systemic prepackaged tray 10 includes one or more single-sided adhesive sheets 22 typically having an elongated shape defining a second longitudinal edge 32. Each single-sided adhesive sheet 22 having a single adhesive surface 22a and an opposing non-adhesive surface 22b. The systemic prepackaged tray 10 provides that each second longitudinal edge 32 generally aligns with the notch edge 26n/first longitudinal edge 28 so that each single-sided adhesive sheet 22 overlaps the pre-lain upper adhesive surface 18a. The dimensioning of the double-sided adhesive sheets 18 and the single-sided adhesive sheets 22 may or may not be coextensive. It should be understood that sheets 18 and 22 may be made of transparent and/or translucent material.

[0020] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of directional terms such as upper, lower, upward, downwardly, top and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward direction (or upper) being toward the top of FIGS. 4 and 5 and a lower (or downward) direction being toward the bottom of FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0021] A method of using the present invention may include the following. The systemic prepackaged tray 10 disclosed herein may be provided. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a user may first adhere each double-sided adhesive sheet 18 along the respective notch edges 26n so portions of the lower adhesive surface 18b adhere to an upward facing portion 36 of each notch 14, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and as a corollary a portion of the upper adhesive surface 18a are upward facing.

[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a proximal end of a faux eyelash 20 may be placed on each said portion of the upper adhesive surface 18a. Each gutter 16 is dimensioned between its two edges 26 so that the faux eyelash 20 each notch but does not adhere to an adjacent upper adhesive surface 18a. Notice how the opposing edge 26a in combination of the recessed gutter 16 facilitates the distal ends of the faux eyelash 20 avoiding contact with the adjacent upper adhesive surface 18a, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the user may then lay the single adhesive surface 22a over the portions of the upper adhesive surface 18a so as to sandwich each proximal end of the faux eyelashes 20 between said portion of the upper adhesive surface 18a and said single adhesive surface 22a.

[0024] As a result, the faux eyelashes are secure enough to remain in place in the retaining tray 10 during handling and transport between manufacture and end user customer, yet removable so that the end user customer may merely urge without undue exertion the faux eyelash 20 from the sandwiching adhesive surfaces 18a and 22a. Thereby mooting the problem of using too much or too little adhesive, and thus saving time and material by avoiding faulty end products and saving time needed for quality control to catch and correct such faulty end products.

[0025] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A system for removably retaining faux eyelashes, comprising: a substrate; one or more elongated gutters recessed along the substrate, each elongated gutter defined by a first edge and an opposing second edge; and for each elongate gutter: a plurality of spaced apart notches recessed along the substrate so that each notch communicates with the first edge and the elongated gutter, whereby for each notch, a portion of a faux eyelash could be sandwiched between a first adhesive and a single-sided adhesive strip.

2. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive along at least a portion of a notch base of each notch.

3. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 2, further comprising one or more single-sided adhesive strips, each single-sided adhesive strip dimensioned to engage one or more first adhesives.

4. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 2, wherein each first adhesive is part of a double-sided adhesive strip.

5. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 2, further comprising a gutter base coplanar with each notch base.

6. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 2, wherein each elongated gutter is dimensioned so that each faux eyelash does not contact the substrate except at its interface with the second edge.

7. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 2, wherein each first adhesive along at least said portion of the notch base terminates between a plane defining the substrate and the notch base.

8. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 7, wherein each first adhesive along at least said portion of the notch base terminates approximated equidistant between a plane defining the substrate and the notch base.

9. A system for removably retaining faux eyelashes, comprising: a substrate; one or more elongated gutters recessed along the substrate, each elongated gutter defined by a first edge and an opposing second edge; for each elongate gutter: a plurality of spaced apart notches recessed along the substrate so that each notch communicates with the first edge and the elongated gutter; a double-sided adhesive strip extending along the substrate along the first edge so as to operatively engage at least a portion of a notch base of each notch; and a single-sided adhesive strip having a single adhesive surface, the single adhesive surface operatively engaging the double-sided adhesive strip along the substrate, whereby for each notch, a portion of a faux eyelash could be sandwiched between the first adhesive and a single-sided adhesive strip.

10. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 9, further comprising a gutter base coplanar with each notch base.

11. The system for removably retaining faux eyelashes of claim 9, wherein each elongated gutter is dimensioned so that each faux eyelash does not contact the substrate except at its interface with the second edge.

12. A method of retaining a plurality of faux eyelash in a tray, comprising: providing the substrate of claim 1; and for each elongate gutter: placing a double-sided adhesive strip along the substrate so that the double-sided adhesive strip operatively engages at least a portion of a notch base of each notch; placing a proximal portion of each faux eyelash in one of the plurality of spaced apart notches; and placing a single-sided adhesive strip so as to operatively sandwich each proximal portion against the double-sided adhesive strip.