EP2489286A2

EP2489286A2 - Cosmetic face mask

Info

Publication number: EP2489286A2
Application number: EP11154986A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Konji Nakamura
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: NAKAMURA, KOJI
Priority date: 2011-02-17
Filing date: 2011-02-18
Publication date: 2012-08-22
Also published as: EP2489286A3; US20120211022A1

Abstract

A cosmetic face (1) mask is formed by cutting a nonwoven fabric sheet to approximately the shape of a circle and a size covering approximately the entire face and cutting openings (4,5) corresponding to the eyes and mouth, which is characterized in that the nonwoven fabric is stretchable in one direction and the sheet is cut in such a way that the direction in which the cosmetic face mask exhibits its stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and also that perforation-like lines (14) are formed in the vertical direction in a trapezoidal area (11) surrounded by lines connecting the bases of the nose wings and bases of the eyes, as well as in a small trapezoidal area (12) formed above this area corresponding to the concave area below the center between the eyebrows, with a horizontal cut (9) made that connects the bases of the nose wings.

Description

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a cosmetic face mask constituted by a flat cosmetic sheet impregnated with cosmetic lotion, etc., which is placed over the skin of the face to cover the entire nose wings as well as the area between the eyebrows.

[Background Art]

A conventional cosmetic face mask constituted by a cosmetic sheet impregnated with beauty lotion is formed, as shown in Fig. 3, first by cutting out a cut part 3 from a nonwoven fabric sheet, which has a center line 10 as the axis of symmetry, to a size roughly covering the entire face and a shape of approximate circle, and then cutting symmetrically openings 4 corresponding to the eyes and an opening 5 corresponding to the mouth, after which a tab 8 by which to hold the cosmetic face mask 1 is cut and a cut 6 is made along a shape corresponding to the nose in an area corresponding to the nose, or by making a semi-circular cut in an area corresponding to the eyes to form a lid-shaped opening 4 (refer to Patent Literatures 1 to 3, etc.).
Such a conventional cosmetic face mask 1 has a nose cover 7 formed by making a cut in vertical/lateral directions 6 along a shape corresponding to the nose in an area corresponding to the nose, to cover the nose which is the highest projecting feature on the face and has the nasal apex as well as nose wings spreading over a certain width. When the cosmetic face mask 1 of this shape is placed over the face, however, the aforementioned nose cover 7 is raised up to the height of the nasal apex and the entire nose cannot be covered. Accordingly, a large gap opens along the aforementioned cut 6, resulting in the nose wings being covered only partially and not entirely. Also, the concave area below the center between the eyebrows cannot be covered with the cosmetic sheet in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin because of the hollow space formed in the area below the center between the eyebrows.
The nose wings constitute an area where sebum is released easily and dirt gets trapped in the pores, and therefore this is an area requiring most care by a beauty mask. Also, lines tend to form between the eyebrows, and this is another area requiring care by a beauty mask. Conventional cosmetic face masks cannot cover the nose wings fully and they are also unable to cover the area between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin, and therefore as products these cosmetic face masks cannot give complete satisfaction to customers.
To solve these problems of not covering the nose wings fully and not covering the area between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin, a three-dimensional cosmetic face mask 20, as shown in Fig. 4, is proposed (refer to Patent Literature 4). This three-dimensional cosmetic face mask comprises a left sheet 21 and a right sheet 22, each of which is formed in the shape of a side of a face when viewed from each side of the face, and because these left and right sheets 21, 22 are symmetrically shaped, bonding the inside surfaces of the left and right sheets 21, 22 using adhesive over width W along the front edges facing the center line of the face will form a cosmetic face mask having a three-dimensional shape. Because of this three-dimensional shape, cosmetic lotion or other liquid can act uniformly on the entire face including the entire nose wings 23 and area between the eyebrows 24. However, the aforementioned three-dimensional cosmetic face mask 20 also requires a complex manufacturing process, as explained later, due to its complex shape.
In this disclosure, any discussion of problems and solutions involved in the related art has been included in this disclosure solely for the purposes of providing a context for the present invention, and it should not be taken as an admission that any or all of the discussion were known at the time the invention was made.

[Literatures of Prior Art]

[Patent Literatures]
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2009-189612
[Patent Literature 2] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2010-142263
[Patent Literature 3] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-97785
[Patent Literature 4] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2010-69287

[Summary of the Invention]

[Problems to Be Solved by the Invention]

A conventional cosmetic face mask has a simple planar shape and is therefore manufactured by a simple method that involves stamping out an approximate shape of a circle of a size covering approximately the entire face, while simultaneously cutting openings in areas corresponding to the eyes and mouth and making a cut in an area corresponding to the nose. However, the aforementioned three-dimensional cosmetic face mask has a complex shape and therefore its manufacturing method is such that adhesive is applied over a specified width on a sheet and the sheet is heated for a specified time until adhesive is fixed onto the sheet, and then this sheet on which adhesive has been fixed is cut to a specified length and folded in two, after which the folded sheet is stamped into a shape of sides of a face and the front edges of the stamped pieces of side face shape are heated over a specified width to be bonded together. This manufacturing method of the three-dimensional cosmetic face mask involves multiple steps and therefore it may add to cost. In addition, a conventional cosmetic face mask is stored folded in a packaging container and therefore when it is taken out and worn on the face, the user simply holds the left and right edges of the cosmetic face mask and spreads the mask, and the mask can be easily worn on the face. On the other hand, the three-dimensional cosmetic face mask does not have a planar shape and thus cannot be spread by simply holding the left and right edges, and for this reason wearing this mask on the face may be several times more difficult and time-consuming. In this sense, a conventional cosmetic face mask is advantageous because its simple planar shape allows for a simple manufacturing method and simple wearing method. A cosmetic face mask product that takes advantage of these benefits of the shape of a conventional cosmetic face mask, while ensuring coverage of the nose wings and area between the eyebrows, is desired.
The present invention was developed in light of the aforementioned problems of the prior art and it is the object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic face mask that can, based on the shape of a conventional cosmetic face mask, cover the nose wings fully while also covering the area between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

To solve the aforementioned object, the inventor repeated earnest studies and consequently discovered that by cutting a sheet in such a way that its stretching direction matches the lateral direction of the face, and then forming perforation-like lines generally in the vertical direction in a main trapezoidal area defined by lines connecting the bases of the left and right nose wings and bases of the eyes (i.e., eye holes), as well as in a small trapezoidal area (i.e., an upper trapezoidal area) formed above the trapezoidal area corresponding to the concave area below the center between the eyebrows, after which a horizontal cut is made connecting the bases of the nose wings, so that the sheet will stretch and expand in the lateral direction and can cover the nose wings and concave area between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin, and with this discovery the inventor completed the present invention.
A cosmetic face mask pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a cosmetic face mask formed by cutting a nonwoven fabric sheet stretchable in one direction to an approximate shape of a circle and a size covering approximately the entire face and cutting openings corresponding to the eyes and mouth, which is characterized in that the aforementioned sheet is cut in such a way that the direction in which the cosmetic face mask exhibits its stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and also that perforation-like lines are formed in the vertical direction in a trapezoidal area surrounded by lines connecting the bases of the nose wings and bases of the eyes, as well as in a small trapezoidal area formed above this area corresponding to the concave area below the center between the eyebrows, with a horizontal cut made that connects the bases of the nose wings.
A cosmetic face mask pertaining to Embodiment 2 is characterized in that a cut in a convex shape pointing downward is made at the center of the horizontal cut.
A cosmetic face mask pertaining to Embodiment 3 is characterized in that the number of the perforation-like lines is within a range of 10 to 20.
A cosmetic face mask pertaining to Embodiment 4 is characterized in that, among the perforation-like lines, the lines closest to the center line of the cosmetic face mask are formed symmetrically to and in parallel with the center line and that the slope of each of the perforation-like lines spreading outward corresponds to 90 degrees minus a specific angle.
A cosmetic face mask pertaining to Embodiment 5 is characterized in that the perforation-like lines are spaced roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the lateral direction and that they are also formed roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[Effects of the Invention]

A cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention is constituted by a sheet that has been cut in such a way that the direction in which the sheet exhibits stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and perforation-like lines are formed in the vertical direction in a trapezoidal area and small trapezoidal area of the cosmetic face mask, with a horizontal cut made that connects the bases of the nose wings, and therefore when this cosmetic face mask is to be attached to the face, it is simply pulled sideways and the sheet will stretch and expand and cover the projected nose wings fully and also cover the area between the eyebrows above the concave area below the center between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin.
A cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention has a simple planar shape and therefore its manufacturing method and wearing method are also simple, and furthermore the perforation-like lines to be made in the cosmetic face mask can be cut out using a die having an array of corresponding blades, which means that the manufacturing cost can be kept low.
A cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention can have a desired number of perforation-like lines in total within a range of 10 to 20, which means that a proper fit can be provided to the user according to the height of the nose and depth of the concave area at the center between the eyebrows.

[Brief Description of Drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plain view of a cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the aforementioned perforated line area.
Fig. 3 is a plain view of a conventional cosmetic face mask.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional cosmetic face mask in use.

[Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

Fig. 1 is a plain view of a cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention.
It should be noted that symbols used to explain the cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention use the same symbols applicable to the conventional cosmetic face mask if referring to the same things.
The cosmetic face mask 1 conforming to the present invention has a cut part 3 of approximately the shape of a circle, eye openings 4, a mouth opening 5, and tabs 8, as with the conventional cosmetic face mask 1, but it has no nose cover 7 as shown in Fig. 3 which is formed by a vertical/lateral cut 6 made along the shape of the nose.
As shown in Fig. 1, perforation-like lines are made in a trapezoidal area 11 surrounded by lines connecting the base of one nose wing and base of the other nose wing and the base of one eye and base of the other eye, as well as in a small trapezoidal area 12 formed between the eyebrows above a line connecting the aforementioned bases of the eyes. When explained in further detail, the perforation-like lines are spaced roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the lateral direction and they are also formed roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the longitudinal direction. These areas in which perforation-like lines are made, or specifically the aforementioned trapezoidal area and small trapezoidal area, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "perforated line area" and indicated by reference numeral 13.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the aforementioned perforated line area.
A horizontal cut 9 is made in a manner connecting the aforementioned bases of the nose wings, and a cut 9' in a convex shape pointing downward is made at the center of this horizontal cut 9, or specifically the area corresponding to the nasal apex. It should be noted that only a horizontal cut may be made without making the cut 9' in a convex shape pointing downward at the nasal apex. For better coverage of the nasal apex, however, it is desirable to make the aforementioned cut 9' in a convex shape pointing downward.
Also provided in the sheet 2 are a total of 10 to 20 (hereinafter referred to as "N number of") perforation-like lines that are punched in a manner running symmetrically toward a center point O on a center line 10 at an equal pitch in lateral and longitudinal directions above the aforementioned horizontal cut 9 (these lines are hereinafter referred to as "perforated lines" and indicated by reference numeral 14), and these perforated lines 14 form the perforated line area 13. Note that if there are eight or fewer perforated lines 14, lateral stretchability will decrease and the mask may feel tight. If there are 22 or more perforated lines 14, on the other hand, the perforated lines 14 will become too close to each other and the sheet may break as it is stretched laterally.
The outermost perforated line 14' with respect to the center line 10 is formed along a line that extends from the bottom edge of this line 14' toward the center point O on the center line 10, as shown in Fig. 1, at an angle α relative to the center line 10. On the other hand, the closest perforated line 14" to the center line 10 is formed in parallel with the center line 10. Perforated lines 14 between the aforementioned two perforated lines 14', 14" are formed in such a way that, based on N number of aforementioned perforated lines 14, each perforated line 14 is formed in the vertical direction along a line drawn at an angle corresponding to the angle of perforated line 14", or 90 degrees, minus [(90 - α) / (N / 2-1)] degrees. For example, assume that α is 70 degrees and N is 14. In this case, [(90 - α) / (N / 2-1)] gives 3.3 degrees, so perforated lines 14 are drawn in the perforated line area 13 at slopes, relative to the horizontal cut 9, corresponding to angles decreasing by 3.3 degrees from 90 degrees. "Vertical direction" above means the vertical direction of 90 degrees as well as an angled direction having a slope relative to the vertical direction.
For the nonwoven fabric sheet used for the cosmetic face mask proposed by the present invention, any known skin covering sheet impregnated with cosmetic material can be used (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2010-281003 ), and this covering sheet is constituted by a fiber layer made of staple fibers laminated on one side of a long-fiber nonwoven fabric stretchable in one direction to form a surface layer, where the aforementioned long-fiber nonwoven fabric and fiber layer are integrated with each other in such a way that long fibers and staple fibers are hydroentangled.
Accordingly, cutting this sheet in such a way that the direction in which it exhibits stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face improves the fit of the sheet over the nose wings to which it is attached, thus resulting in better coverage of the entire nose wings. This is why the cosmetic face mask proposed by the present invention uses a sheet that has been cut in such a way that the direction in which it exhibits stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face. The aforementioned perforated line area 13 is formed by stamping and punching the sheet 2 using a die having an array of blades corresponding to the perforated lines 14.
As explained above, the cosmetic face mask proposed by the present invention is formed by cutting a nonwoven fabric sheet in such a way that the direction in which it exhibits stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and perforated lines are formed in the vertical directions in the aforementioned cosmetic face mask in a trapezoidal area surrounded by lines connecting the bases of the nose wings and bases of the eyes, as well as in a small trapezoidal area formed between the eyebrows, and a horizontal cut is made that connects the bases of the nose wings.
When an experiment was conducted by impregnating a cosmetic face mask having the aforementioned constitution with cosmetic lotion to see if the cosmetic face mask, when worn on the face, would cover the nose wings fully, it was found that the sheet, characterized by perforated lines formed in the vertical direction in the aforementioned trapezoidal area and small trapezoidal area, and also by correspondence of the direction of its stretchability with the lateral direction of the face, could be stretched and expanded laterally along the nose bridge, angled line of the nose and nose wings and cover the projected nose wings and area between the eyebrows above the concave area below the center between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remained tightly in contact with the skin. To be specific, when the tabs were pulled laterally to attach the cosmetic face mask onto the face, the sheet of the cosmetic face mask was stretched and expanded laterally and consequently the projecting nose wings were covered entirely by the trapezoidal area being stretched and expanded laterally, while the concave area below the center between the eyebrows was covered by the small trapezoidal area being stretched and expanded laterally, and the nose wings and area between the eyebrows were covered in such a way that the sheet remained tightly in contact with the skin.

[Example]

The present invention is explained below using an example.
The example is explained based on Fig. 2, which is an enlarged view of the perforated line area.
The horizontal cut 9 has a width of 60 mm, while the radius of the cut in a convex shape pointing downward is 12.5 mm. There are 14 perforated lines 14 in the perforated line area 13 and the width at the bottom of perforated lines 14 formed between the perforated lines 14', 14" is 3 mm, while the width between the horizontal cut 9 and bottom of perforated line 14 is 1.5 mm. The perforations constituting perforated lines 14 are 1.5 mm long, and the width between adjacent perforations is 2 mm. In the trapezoidal area, the angle of two perforated lines 14" running symmetrical to the center line 10 is 90 degrees, and toward the outer side the lines are sloped at angles decreasing by 3.3 degrees from 90 degrees, with a total of 98 perforations formed on these lines. In the small trapezoidal area, a total of 10 perforations are formed.
It should be noted that the aforementioned example is only one example of the present invention and the present invention is not limited to this example in any way. Specifically, the perforation length of 1.5 mm and provision of perforations on lines sloped at angles decreasing by 3.3 degrees from 90 degrees represented by perforated line 14" are only one example of the present invention.
A cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention, which is formed by a sheet that has been cut in such a way that the direction in which it exhibits stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and perforated lines are formed in the vertical direction in a trapezoidal area surrounded by lines connecting the bases of the nose wings and bases of the eyes, as well as in a small trapezoidal area formed above this area corresponding to the concave area below the center between the eyebrows, with a horizontal cut made that connects the bases of the nose wings, has the following effects.
To be specific, when this cosmetic face mask conforming to the present invention is pulled laterally to attach the cosmetic face mask onto the face, the sheet stretches and expands laterally and covers the projecting nose wings fully, while the sheet also covers the concave area below the center between the eyebrows in such a way that the sheet remains tightly in contact with the skin, and these marked effects have not been available with conventional cosmetic face masks.
In this disclosure, the "invention" may refer to an embodiment or some embodiments of the invention, but not all the embodiments. The term "approximately" refers to "substantially" or "nearly" in some embodiments, which would be understood by a skilled artisan in the art based on its ordinary and customary meaning. Also, in this disclosure, the term "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "trapezoidal" or the like is a relative term and would refer to a general direction or shape relative to a reference direction or shape. In this disclosure where conditions and/or structures are not specified, the skilled artisan in the art can readily provide such conditions and/or structures, in view of the present disclosure, as a matter of routine experimentation.

Claims

A cosmetic face mask formed by cutting a nonwoven fabric sheet to approximately the shape of a circle and a size covering approximately the entire face and cutting openings corresponding to the eyes and mouth; said cosmetic face mask being characterized in that the nonwoven fabric is stretchable in one direction and the sheet is cut so that the direction in which the cosmetic face mask exhibits its stretchability corresponds to the lateral direction of the face, and also that perforation-like lines are formed generally in the vertical direction in a main trapezoidal area defined by lines connecting bases of nose wings and bases of eye holes, as well as in an upper trapezoidal area formed above the main trapezoidal area corresponding to a concave area below the center between eyebrows, with a horizontal cut made that connects the bases of the nose wings.
A cosmetic face mask according to Claim 1, characterized in that a cut in a convex shape pointing downward is made at the center of the horizontal cut.
A cosmetic face mask according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the number of the perforation-like lines is in a range of 10 to 20.
A cosmetic face mask according to Claim 3, characterized in that, among the perforation-like lines, lines closest to the center line of the cosmetic face mask are formed symmetrically to and in parallel with the center line and that the slope of each of the perforation-like lines spreading outward corresponds to 90 degrees minus a specific angle.
A cosmetic face mask according to Claim 3, characterized in that the perforation-like lines are spaced roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the lateral direction and that they are also formed roughly at an equal pitch when viewed from the longitudinal direction.