FACILITATING APPLICATION OF FALSE EYELASHES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray, and more particularly, a combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] Numerous innovations for false eyelash applicators have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 3,516,423 issued June 23, 1970 to Seidler teaches a cosmetic article applicator especially suited for applying false eyelashes in which the applicator includes a support surface to which the cosmetic article may be temporarily adhered for manipulation of the article into adhering engagement with the skin of the wearer. The surface to which the cosmetic article is temporarily adhered includes an adhering medium which is, preferably, a silicone base adhesive that is washable to remove contaminants and renew the tackiness of the adhesive. In applying the cosmetic article to the skin, a surgical tape may be utilized that may be supported on a compressible surface in order that the tape may be caused to conform to the cosmetic article on the support surface.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 3,880,175 issued April 29, 1975 to Hosokawa teaches a false eyelash structure including a number of hair units mounted on a supporting yarn and bonded to a plastic film that is mountable onto the upper eyelid of a human being. The film may be colored to function as eye shadow.

[0005] U.S. Patent No. 5,547,529 issued August 20, 1996 to Woolf teaches a false eyelash system for producing unknotted clusters of false eyelashes from long fibers. A plurality of long fibers are knotted around a main string with a preliminary knot. The long fibers are trimmed a distance away from the main string, which corresponds to a desired eyelash length. Cement is applied to the preliminary knot and a discernible distance therefrom to form a cement clot. The preliminary knot is removed by cutting through the cement clot to form unknotted clusters of false eyelashes. [0006] U.S. Patent No. 6,029,674 issued February 29, 2000 to Han teaches a device for attaching a false eyelash with an original adhesive thereon to an eyelid when the original adhesive thereon has lost its adhesion. The device includes a core and an adhesive coating that surrounds the core so as to form an attaching element. The adhesive coating attaches the core along the false eyelash and also allows the false eyelash to then be attached to the eyelid. The device further includes a primary substrate, a secondary substrate disposed on the primary substrate and having a plurality of the attaching elements spaced longitudinally therealong and held releasably thereon by the adhesive coating of each attaching element, a plurality of release sheet covers, each of which covers and protects an associated attaching element prior to use and is held releasably thereon by the adhesive coating of the associated attaching element, and at least one pair of false eyelashes disposed on the primary substrate.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 6,308,716 issued October 30, 2001 to Han teaches a core for an adhesive device for attaching a false eyelash to an eyelid. The adhesive device is of a type that has a core, an adhesive coating that surrounds the core so as to form an attaching element, a primary substrate that is a card and has a face with an upper area that has a display throughbore therethrough for a hanging display and a lower area, a secondary substrate that is disposed on the upper area of the primary substrate below the display throughbore therethrough, and a plurality of release sheet covers that are individual and separate from each other. The core is a plurality of synthetic fibers laid side-by-side and not twisted, braided, interwoven, intertwined, entwined, or interlaced with each other. Each synthetic fiber is thin, smooth, and does not absorb the adhesive coating so as to remain soft and pliable.

[0008] U.S. Patent No. 7,222,629 issued May 29, 2007 to Han teaches that when securing eyelashes to a user's eyelid, the procedure is greatly simplified and facilitated if the beautician applying the eyelash has both hands free when applying adhesive glue to an eyelash and then placing the eyelash on the user's eyelid. Rather than having an eyelash holder platform of eyelashes standing free on a work table, the task is greatly simplified and made much easier if the eyelash platform is kept handy and easily accessible to the beautician by temporarily attaching the eyelash holder platform to the back of the beautician's hand. Accordingly, an apparatus for securing an eyelash holder platform to a back of a beautician's hand, which has a finger ring, which is removably attachable to an eyelash holder platform, and which is to be worn on a beautician's finger to maintain the location of the platform in the proximity of the back of the beautician's hand. [0009] U.S. Design Patent No. 223,787 issued June 6, 1972 to Seidler teaches the ornamental design for a false eyelash holder.

[00010] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0166939 dated August 4, 2005 to Stroud teaches a false eyelash applicator that is a generally U-shaped hand tool having two arms joined together by a middle portion. The arms are mirror images of each other and are parallel to the other. Each arm has an end, a neck section, and a handle section. The middle portion is flanked on each side by the handle sections of each arm. The ends have a width and a slightly concave edge that serves to hold the false eyelash. The width of the

applicator's ends permits the applicator to grasp up to about three-fourths of the false eyelash and not just a few lashes at one time for more accuracy. The applicator is constructed of flexible, resilient material to permit the applicator to be folded into its generally U-shaped configuration and be manipulated.

[00011] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0044827 dated February 19, 2009 to Zilber et al. Teaches a cosmetics container system including a first compact that includes apparatus for releasably attaching the first compact to a side or a bottom of another first compact or to a compact of a similar size.

[00012] U.S. Patent No. 8,424,542 issued April 23, 2013 to Han teaches an integral cosmetic eye-enhancer and applier facilitating donning of the cosmetic eye-enhancer by holding the applier by the fingertips of a user generally horizontally so as to have to bend the wrist of the user but not have to squeeze the applier by the fingertips of the user when donning the cosmetic eye-enhancer. A pair of applicator trays are replaceably contained within a storage container. A pair of false eyelashes are releasably attached to corresponding working ends of the pair of applicator trays, respectively. The other corresponding ends of the pair of applicator trays are held by the fingertips of the user generally horizontally so as to have to bend the wrist of the user but not have to squeeze the other corresponding ends of the pair of applicator trays by the fingertips of the user when donning the pair of false eyelashes.

[00013] It is apparent now that numerous innovations for false eyelash applicators have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[00014] The present invention provides a combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

[00015] More particularly, the present invention provides a combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Further, the present invention provides a combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes that is simple to use.

[00016] The present invention is directed to a universal eyelash enhancer that conforms to different shaped eyelids of a wearer. The universal eyelash enhancer includes a tray, a pair of false eyelash applicators, and a pair of false eyelashes. The pair of false eyelash applicators are replaceably attached to the tray. The pair of false eyelashes are releasably attached to the pair of false eyelash applicators, respectively, and conformingly attach to the different shaped eyelids of the wearer.

[00017] The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00018] Further features, effects and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention and from the accompanying figures, in which:

[00019] Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes in a point of sale storage container; [00020] Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a combined tray and flexible applicator being removed therefrom by a user;

[00021] Figure 3 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view, with parts broken away, taken in the area enclosed in the dotted curve indicated by arrow 3 in Figure 2, of the mechanism which secured the tray and flexible applicator in the point of sale storage container;

[00022] Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a user removing a release sheet from a first embodiment of a false eyelash of the present invention;

[00023] Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a user removing applying adhesive to a second embodiment of a false eyelash of the present invention;

[00024] Figures 6 and 7 both illustrate a person applying a false eyelash to their eyelid utilizing either embodiment of the combined tray and flexible applicator of the present invention;

[00025] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 in Figure 6;

[00026] Figure 9 is a top plan view, similar to Figure 1 , of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes in a point of sale storage container;

[00027] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 10- 10 in Figure 9;

[00028] Figure 11 is a diagrammatical exploded perspective view illustrating the first embodiment of the applicator for holding and facilitating the application of false eyelashes, which utilizes an adhesive tape securement mechanism for holding an eyelash to an eyelid, in greater detail;

[00029] Figure 12 is a diagrammatical exploded perspective view illustrating the second embodiment of the applicator for holding and facilitating the application of false eyelashes, which utilizes an adhesive cement securement method for holding an eyelash to an eyelid, in greater detail; [00030] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 13-13 in Figure 11 ; and [00031] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 14-14 in Figure 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[00032] Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to Figures 6 and 7, the universal eyelash enhancer of the embodiments of the present invention is shown generally at 20 for conforming to different shaped eyelids 22 of a wearer 24.

[00033] The overall configuration of the universal eyelash enhancer 20 can best be seen in Figures 1, 2, and 8-10, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[00034] The universal eyelash enhancer 20 comprises a tray 26, a pair of false eyelash applicators 28, and a pair of false eyelashes 30. The pair of false eyelash applicators 28 are replaceably attached to the tray 26. The pair of false eyelashes 30 are releasably attached to the pair of false eyelash applicators 28, respectively, and are for conformingly attaching to the different shaped eyelids 22 of the wearer 24.

[00035] The specific configuration of the tray 26 can best be seen in Figures 1-3, 9 and 10, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[00036] The tray 26 comprises a floor 32 with a perimeter 34 and an upper surface 35, and walls 36.

[00037] The floor 32 of the tray 26 is generally rectangular- shaped, and the walls 36 of the tray 26 extend generally perpendicularly upwardly from the perimeter 34 of the floor 32 of the tray 26.

[00038] The tray 26 further comprises a pair of resilient proj ections 38.

[00039] The pair of resilient projections 38 of the tray 26 are spaced apart from each other, and extend generally perpendicularly upwardly from the upper surface 35 of the floor 32 of the tray 26. [00040] The specific configuration of the pair of false eyelash applicators 28 can best be seen in Figures 1-5 and 8-12, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[00041] Each false eyelash applicator 28 is generally quadrilateral-shaped, and as such, has a pair of longitudinal sides 40 and a pair of lateral sides 42.

[00042] The pair of lateral sides 42 of each false eyelash applicator 28 are arcuately concave-shaped, while the pair of longitudinal sides 40 of each false eyelash applicator 28 are arcuately convex-shaped.

[00043] Each false eyelash applicator 28 further has a rear surface 44.

[00044] Each false eyelash applicator 28 further has a socket 46.

[00045] The socket 46 of each false eyelash applicator 28 depends generally perpendicularly from the rear surface 44 of an associated false eyelash applicator 28, and replaceably receives an associated resilient projection 38 of the tray 26.

[00046] Each false eyelash 30 is releasably attached to one lateral side 42 of an associated false eyelash applicator 28. The pair of false eyelash applicators 28 are flexible for allowing the other lateral side 42 of the associated false eyelash applicator 28 to be pinched and bent by the wearer 24 causing the one lateral side 42 of the associated false eyelash applicator 28 to bend accordingly for conformingly attaching the false eyelash 30 to the different shaped eyelids 22 of the wearer 24.

[00047] The one lateral side 42 of each false eyelash applicator 28 is longer than the other lateral side 42 of an associated false eyelash applicator 28 so as to require less pinching of the other lateral side 42 of the associated false eyelash applicator 28 to gain proper bending of the one lateral side 42 of the associated false eyelash applicator 28 and the false eyelash 30 releasably attached thereto.

[00048] The one lateral side 42 of each false eyelash applicator 28 being arcuately concave-shaped eliminates a need to "roll" the false eyelash applicator 28 and the false eyelash 30 releasably attached thereto for applying the false eyelash 30 to the different shaped eyelids 22 of the wearer 24. [00049] The specific configuration of a first embodiment of the pair of false eyelashes 130 can best be seen in Figures 4, 11 and 13, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[00050] Each false eyelash 130 comprises a supporting substrate 148 and a plurality of lashes 150.

[00051] The plurality of lashes 150 of each false eyelash 130 extend outwardly from the supporting substrate 148 of an associated false eyelash 130.

[00052] As shown in Figure 13, each false eyelash 130 further comprises a strip of double-sided tape 152.

[00053] The strip of double-sided tape 152 of each false eyelash 130 releasably adheres an associated false eyelash 130 to an associated false eyelash applicator 28.

[00054] The strip of double-sided tape 152 of each false eyelash 130 has a strong adhesive side 154 and a weak adhesive side 156.

[00055] The strong adhesive side 154 of the strip of double-sided tape 152 of each false eyelash 130 adheres the strip of double-sided tape 152 of an associated false eyelash 130 to an associated false eyelash applicator 28, while the weak adhesive side 156 of each false eyelash 130 adheres the strip of double-sided tape 152 of an associated false eyelash 130 to an associated false eyelash 130.

[00056] The weak adhesive side 156 of each false eyelash 130 is weaker than the strong adhesive side 154 of each false eyelash 130 so as to allow each false eyelash 130 to separate from the false eyelash applicator 28 during use without carrying the strip of double- sided tape 152 of an associated false eyelash 130 therewith.

[00057] Each false eyelash 130 further comprises a layer of adhesive 158.

[00058] The layer of adhesive 158 of each false eyelash 130 is adhered to the supporting substrate 148 of an associated false eyelash 130, and is for adhering an associated false eyelash 130 to the different shaped eyelids 22 of the wearer 24. [00059] Each false eyelash 130 further comprises a release sheet cover 160.

[00060] The release sheet cover 160 of each false eyelash 130 extends along, and protects prior to use, the layer of adhesive 158 of an associated false eyelash 130.

[00061] The specific configuration of a second embodiment of the pair of false eyelashes 230 can best be seen in Figures 5, 12 and 14, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[00062] The pair of false eyelashes 230 are similar to the pair of false eyelashes 130, except that the layer of adhesive 158 of each false eyelash 130 and the release sheet 160 of each false eyelash 130 are replaced by a layer of adhesive 258 applied from a tube 260 at time of use.

[00063] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

[00064] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a combined tray and flexible applicator for holding and facilitating application of false eyelashes, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[00065] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

List -of reference signs

20 universal eyelash enhancer of embodiments of present invention for conforming to different shaped eyelids 22 of wearer 24

22 different shaped eyelids of wearer 24

24 wearer

26 tray

28 pair of false eyelash applicators

30 pair of false eyelashes for conformingly attaching to different shaped eyelids 22 of the wearer 24

32 floor of tray 26

34 perimeter of floor 32 of tray 26

35 upper surface of floor 32 of tray 26

36 walls of tray 26

38 pair of resilient proj ections of tray 26

40 pair of longitudinal sides of each false eyelash applicator of pair of false eyelash applicators 28

42 pair of lateral sides of each false eyelash applicator of pair of false eyelash

applicators 28

44 rear surface of each false eyelash applicator of pair of false eyelash applicators 28

46 socket of each false eyelash applicator of pair of false eyelash applicators 28

130 first embodiment of pair of false eyelashes

148 supporting substrate of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

150 plurality of lashes of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

152 strip of double-sided tape of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

154 strong adhesive side of strip of double-sided tape 152 of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

156 weak adhesive side of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

158 layer of adhesive of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130 for adhering each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130 to different shaped eyelids 22 of wearer 24

160 release sheet cover of each false eyelash of pair of false eyelashes 130

230 second embodiment of pair of false eyelashes

258 layer of adhesive

260 tube