KR102093833B1 - Metallic foil nail appliques - Google Patents

Abstract

The multi-layer foil applique for decorating the nail comprises the following layers: a first adhesive layer on the substrate that can be released; A base coating on the first adhesive layer; A UV curable adhesive layer on the base coating; A foil layer on the UV curable adhesive layer; And a laminate sheet with a top coating on the foil layer. The foil is applied to the UV curable adhesive layer by contact between the adhesive and the metal side of the metalized plastic sheet before the adhesive is cured. The base coating and the top coating are formed from organic solvent-based nail enamel. Sufficient solvent remains to allow the appliqué to stretch before use. The residual solvent evaporates after the appliqué is applied to the user's nail.

Description

Metal foil nail applique {METALLIC FOIL NAIL APPLIQUES}

Cross reference of related applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 621,887 filed April 9, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 799,386 filed March 15, 2013, all of the aforementioned applications are in full Incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to the field of nail polish and nail decoration, and more particularly, to a nail applique for decorating nails or toenails.

The use of immediate nail coating products, in which nail polish is applied to the nail by sticking the dried form of the nail polish to the nail, has been a popular method of providing manicure. These products, also known as "nail appliques," allow users to quickly decorate their nails or toenails with color, design or image or metallic luster. Such luster can be provided through the use of nail appliques (hereinafter referred to as "foil appliques") comprising metal foils or films.

A nail applique according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first adhesive layer; A partially cured base coating on the first adhesive layer; A second adhesive layer on the base coating; A layer of metal foil on the second adhesive layer; And a self-adhesive nail applique with a partially cured top coating on the metal foil layer. In some embodiments, the second adhesive layer is cured by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In some some other embodiments, the nail appliqué can be stretched and the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the top coating can stretch at substantially the same proportions as each other. In still other embodiments, the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the top coating occupy the same space with each other in an uncured, partially cured, and cured state. In further embodiments, the metal foil layer is a single layer occupying the same space as the second adhesive layer.

A method of manufacturing a self-adhesive nail applique according to one embodiment of the present invention includes forming a first adhesive layer, forming a partially cured base coating on the first adhesive layer, and the base Forming a second adhesive layer on the coating, forming a metal foil layer on the second adhesive layer, and forming a partially cured top coating on the metal foil layer. In some embodiments, forming the second adhesive layer includes exposing the adhesive to ultraviolet radiation after forming the metal foil layer.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention which is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view of a vertical section of a multi-layer foil nail applique on a removable substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic plan view of a set of foil appliques after foil appliques are cut from a laminate sheet prepared according to one embodiment of the method of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the present invention includes multiple layers of nail appliqué (“foil applique”) having a metal foil or film as at least one layer. In a method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the foil applique is formed in a layer-to-layer fashion on top of the removable substrate. The foil applique can be soft and stretched to cover the user's nails or toenails, but cures when the foil appliqué is applied to the nails or toenails (eg, by the user's body heat or at room temperature). For purposes of this disclosure, nails and toenails are collectively referred to as "nail".

1 is a schematic view of a vertical cross-section of a foil applique 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, the foil applique 10 is provided attached to a removable substrate 12 from which the foil applique 10 can be separated. According to FIG. 1, a foil applique 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first adhesive comprising an adhesive suitable for attaching the foil applique to the nail and removably attaching the foil applique to the substrate 12 Layer 14; A base coating 16 comprising nail enamel on the first adhesive layer 14; A second adhesive layer 18 on the base coating 16; A layer 20 of metal foil or film on the second adhesive layer 18; And a top coating of a clean nail enamel 22 covering the metal foil or film. The second adhesive layer 18 includes an adhesive substrate that can be cured (eg, gelled and / or cured) by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (also referred to as “UV radiation”), and also “ UV adhesive layer ”.

According to the materials that can now be used to form the layers of the foil applique 10, first suitable materials for each of the adhesive or nail enamel layers 14, 16, 18, 22 can be obtained commercially or in the art It can be noted that it can be developed on customary standards using materials and methods known from. In embodiments of the present invention, the layers described above must maintain dimensional stability during curing in the manufacturing process and / or during curing on the user's nail. If the dimensions of the layers change, this change should occur to a similar extent across each of the layers 14, 16, 18, 22 and thus the layers 14, 16, 18, 22 may be foil appliques, or more specifically, The foil layers occupy the same space (ie, cover each other to the same extent) to prevent wrinkles or twisting. The dimensional stability of the metal foil or film layer 20 will generally not be of great concern for the reasons discussed elsewhere herein. The materials used for the various layers must also provide a structure with the physical properties (e.g. stretch, flexibility, tear resistance, etc.) required in the final product (e.g. foil appliqués) when acting together. Alternatively, the foil layer should be stretched or bent without wrinkles. These properties are described in the technical field as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 126,862 filed on May 11, 2005 (published as U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0255061 published on November 17, 2005) Can be similar to the properties of certain nail enamel appliques currently well-known in, and the entire disclosure of the application is incorporated herein by reference.

With regard to the first adhesive layer 14, the adhesive used herein must be able to adhere firmly to the nail when cured. The adhesive can be applied to the substrate 12 as a liquid or dissolved from the cured state, and can be a specific solvent that readily volatilizes below human body temperature, such as low molecular weight acetate or alcohol. The adhesive of the first adhesive layer 14 should also be in a form that can be easily released from the substrate 12, which may be composed of a material, such as a thin sheet of silicone coated release liner paper or an aluminum laminate plastic film. A suitable thickness for the first adhesive layer in some embodiments of the present invention will be about 10-15% of the overall thickness of the finished applique. Adhesives and substrates suitable for use in the present invention are similar to those further discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 126,862 described above for nail enamel appliques. Exemplary adhesives suitable for the present invention include acrylic copolymer adhesives.

It should be noted that with respect to the base coating 16 and the top coating 22, in embodiments of the present invention, these coatings may be formed from commercially available or custom made nail enamels. In one embodiment of the invention, the top coating 22 is composed of a clean (eg, transparent or translucent) enamel, so that the foil layer 20 can be seen and the finished applique 10 ) Is preferred but has a metallic color and luster. In some embodiments, the clean coating may include color or may include additives (eg, glitter or mica chips) to enhance the appearance of the finished appliqué. In these embodiments, the top coating should be made so that the foil layer is visible. The base coating 16 may also be composed of clean enamel, but the purpose of the base coating is to provide a mechanical barrier between the first adhesive layer 14 and the UV adhesive layer 18, and also the UV adhesive layer 18 It is to provide a smooth surface for the application of. Suitable thicknesses for the top and base coatings 16, 22 include thicknesses in the range of about 35-45% of the total thickness of the finished appliqué. The nail enamel can be organic solvent based or aqueous based or can be UV curable. The desired physical properties and composition of the nail enamels will be determined by these factors due to the method of applying the respective base or top layers 16, 22, or the temperature at which the layers 16, 18 cure. Organic solvent based nail enamels having a viscosity of 1500-4000 centipoise (60 rpm) at room temperature (eg, about 20 ° C.) may have certain utility in the present invention. Nail enamel properties and formulations are discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 126,862 described above for nail enamel appliques, any of which can be adjusted by one skilled in the art to produce clean coatings suitable for use in the present invention. .

The UV adhesive layer 18 cures in a gel or sticky state after initial exposure to ultraviolet light, and can include any wide range of materials, the cured form being non-toxic. Many of these materials are commercially available and include polyurethane resins, epoxy resins, polyacrylate resins and mixtures thereof. One such material has the following composition range in weight:

10-25% polyurethane resin;

1-25% epoxy resin;

1-20% polyacrylate resin; And

1-10% photoinitiator and stabilizer.

With regard to the metal foil or film layer 20, there are many commercially available products suitable for use in the present invention. These products generally include a metal film deposited on a plastic sheet (also referred to as a “metal plastic sheet”). These products are available in a multi-colored form, or in a holographic finished form, in many metallic colors including silver and gold. Aluminum is the most commonly used metal on plastic sheets, with polyethylene telephthalate (PET), one of the most commonly used plastics. The metal film can have a thickness in the range of 10-1000 nm, more generally 50-100 nm for aluminum. This thickness is sometimes expressed in angstrom units (nm) where 1 nm is equal to 10 mm 2. With this thickness, the metal film can be easily and intactly carried on the adhesive surface, such as the surface of the UV adhesive layer 18 by simple contact between the film and the adhesive. The resulting foil or film layer 20 is generally porous (with very small gaps between metal particles), but appears solid in the applique and can be very reflective. Because the metal film is porous and very thin, the metal film can be deformed to some extent (eg, stretched) without negatively affecting the appearance of the applique. There are many cold stamp foils suitable for use in the present invention that will be recognized by those skilled in the art with ownership and technical knowledge in the present disclosure.

In a method of manufacturing a foil applique, such as a foil applique 10, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a laminate sheet of material having a layer structure desirable for the foil applique is prepared. The sheet is formed in a layer-to-layer manner on a substrate 12 that is releasable by a continuous fabrication process. This continuous process is discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 126,862 described above for nail enamel appliqués, and suitable adjustment of this process for use in the present invention is to those skilled in the art with ownership and technical skill in the present disclosure. It will be obvious.

Using the foil applique 10 as a reference, the adhesive layer 14 is deposited as a liquid either directly on the substrate 12 or by dissolving the solid adhesive on the substrate 12. Suitable means for depositing an adhesive layer on the surface during a continuous fabrication process are known in the art. While maintaining the stickiness of the adhesive, the adhesive is gelled or cured before the next layer (i.e., base coating 16) is applied.

With respect to the base coating 16, nail enamel is applied directly to the adhesive layer 14 to cover the adhesive layer 14 and to form a smooth surface for later application of the UV adhesive layer 18. The nail enamel comprising an organic solvent or water can be heated to evaporate a portion of the solvent or water, thus partially curing the base coating 16. The evaporation step can also be performed at room temperature, depending on the composition of the nail enamel used and the thickness of the base coating 16. The temperature and residence time for this process is a matter of engineering choice, since the temperature and residence time are adjusted by the overall process speed and the desired quality of the final product. In embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the solvent or water remains in the enamel (ie, the enamel is "partially cured"), so that the base coating 16 has a desired degree of stretch. If UV-curable nail enamel is used, a heating step may not be necessary, because the typical UV-curable enamel generally does not contain a solvent or water. Instead, the enamel will be exposed to UV radiation to start the curing process. The duration and intensity of exposure will depend on the formulation of the nail enamel, will be understood by those skilled in the relevant chemical arts, or may be selected according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the nail enamel.

With regard to the UV adhesive layer 18 and the foil layer 20, a UV curable mixture is applied to the surface of the base coating 16. In some embodiments of the invention, the UV curable mixture is not exposed to UV radiation until after the foil layer 20 is applied. In this embodiment of the invention, the metal surface of the roll of metallized plastic sheet is contacted with the UV curable mixture using well-known methods in various techniques (eg, in continuous contact printing). The foil is attached to a UV curable mixture that is a porous layer and separated from the plastic sheet. This “cold stamping” process, which can be carried out at room temperature, has advantages over the commonly used “hot stamping” process. Hot stamping heats the foil that can heat the entire multi-layer structure, causing thinner layers of the applique to dry, possibly rupturing the layers. The hot stamping method also requires the die to carry heat to the applique. These dies often have to be specially manufactured. No application of the degree of damage to the die or heat is required for the cold stamping method used in embodiments of the invention.

After the foil layer 20 is applied, the UV curable mixture is exposed to UV radiation through a porous metal foil to start the curing process. As discussed for UV nail enamel of some embodiments of base coating 16, the duration and intensity of exposure will depend on the formulation of the UV curable mixture, and will be understood by those skilled in the relevant chemical arts. , Or according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the adhesive.

With respect to the top coating 22, nail enamel is applied directly over the foil layer 20 to cover the foil layer 20 and the UV adhesive layer 18. The upper coating 22 may include a single layer or multiple layers of nail enamel. The nail enamel comprising an organic solvent or water can be heated to evaporate a portion of the solvent or water, thus partially curing the top coating 22. The evaporation step can also be performed at room temperature, depending on the composition of the nail enamel used and the thickness of the top coating 22. For the base coating 16, the temperature and residence time for this process is a matter of engineering choice, since the temperature and residence time are adjusted by the overall process speed and desired quality of the final product. In embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the solvent or water remains in the enamel (ie, the enamel is “partially cured”), so the top coating 16 has a desired degree of stretch. If UV-curable nail enamel is used, a heating step may not be necessary, because the typical UV-curable enamel generally does not contain a solvent or water. Instead, the enamel will be exposed to UV radiation to start the curing process. The duration and intensity of exposure will depend on the formulation of the nail enamel, will be understood by those skilled in the relevant chemical arts, or may be selected according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the nail enamel.

When the top coating 22 of the foil applique is partially cured, the sets of foil appliques on the substrate 12 are cut from the laminate sheet. 2 is a schematic plan view of an exemplary set 24 of foil appliques formed according to the method. Each set 24 may include appliqués of different sizes, such as appliques 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 that accept nails of different sizes. In some embodiments, the applique 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 can be integrated with the connector 36.

In some embodiments of the invention described above, the laminate sheet, thus the foil appliqué, comprises a small amount of solvent to keep the appliqué stretchable until the foil appliqué is used. Thus, the applique set 24 is sealed inside a package (not shown) that includes a moisture barrier to prevent solvent loss from the applique.

To use the foil applique, the user opens the package and removes the desired applique 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 from the connector 36. The user separates the applique from the substrate and applies an adhesive layer 14 (not shown) to the nail. The user then stretches the appliqué to cover the nail, removes excess appliqué on the nail, and trims the applique to fit the end of the nail (eg, using a nail file). The body heat of the finger or toe completes the curing process, the curing of the appliqué. As the finished appliqué, as provided in the package, is thin (e.g., about 3.5-5.5 mils in thickness, or about 0,10-0.15 mm), residual solvent can evaporate quickly (e.g., Less than 1 hour, depending on user's body heat and environmental conditions). The cured applique can be removed from the nail using a conventional nail polish remover.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary, and that many skilled in the art can make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this invention, as included in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

As a self-adhesive nail applique,
A first adhesive layer;
A partially cured base coat on the first adhesive layer;
A second adhesive layer on the base coating opposite the first adhesive layer;
A metal foil layer on the second adhesive layer opposite the base coating;
And a partially cured upper coating on the metal foil layer opposite the second adhesive layer,
The second adhesive layer is UV curable, and the metal foil layer is porous, self-adhesive nail applique. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the second adhesive layer is cured by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 2, wherein the nail appliqué can be stretched and the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the top coating can be stretched at the same rate as each other. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the upper coating occupy the same area as each other in an uncured, partially cured, and cured state. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the metal foil layer is a single layer occupying the same area as the second adhesive layer and the upper coating. The self-adhesive nail applique according to claim 1, wherein the metal foil layer covers all the second adhesive layers and is covered by all the top coatings. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the base coating is configured to form a mechanical barrier between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, and to provide a smooth surface to which the second adhesive layer is attached. The self-adhesive nail applique according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive layer comprises a polyurethane resin, an epoxy resin, and a polyacetate resin. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein each of the base coating and the top coating comprises nail enamel. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the metal foil layer has a thickness in the range of 10 to 1000 nm. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1, wherein the nail applique has a thickness in a range of 0.10 mm to 0.15 mm. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 1 further comprising a substrate, wherein the first adhesive layer is removably attached to the substrate. As a method of making a self-adhesive nail applique,
Forming a first adhesive layer;
Forming a partially cured base coating on the first adhesive layer;
Forming a second adhesive layer on the base coating portion opposite the first adhesive layer;
Forming a metal foil layer on the second adhesive layer opposite the base coating;
Forming a partially cured upper coating on the metal foil layer opposite the second adhesive layer,
The step of forming the second adhesive layer includes applying an adhesive that can be cured by being exposed to ultraviolet radiation and exposing the adhesive to ultraviolet radiation after forming the metal foil layer. How to make self-adhesive nail appliques. delete The method of claim 13, wherein forming the partially cured base coating comprises applying a first nail enamel with a first solvent to the first adhesive layer, and the first solvent to allow the base coating to stretch. A method of making a self-adhesive nail applique comprising the step of evaporating a portion of. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the partially cured top coating comprises applying a second nail enamel with a second solvent to the metal foil layer and a portion of the second solvent to allow the top coating to stretch. A method of making a self-adhesive nail applique comprising the step of evaporating. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming a metal foil on the second adhesive layer is a step of providing a substrate, wherein the metal foil is on the substrate, and the metal foil has a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm, Providing the substrate, contacting the metal foil to the second adhesive layer, and withdrawing the substrate such that the metal foil is attached to and detached from the second adhesive layer- How to make adhesive nail appliques. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first adhesive layer is formed on a detachable substrate by forming the first adhesive layer, the method comprising removing the nail applique from the substrate, the user's nail Applying a first adhesive layer, stretching the nail applique to cover the nail, and further curing the base coating part and the upper coating part by the user's body heat, thereby hardening the nail applique. A method of making a self-adhesive nail applique further comprising a. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the top coating are stretched at the same rate. The self-adhesive nail applique of claim 18, wherein the base coating, the second adhesive layer, and the top coating are contracted by the same amount to prevent wrinkles on the foil layer during the additional curing step. How to make.

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