WO2017100606A1

WO2017100606A1 - Hair treatment and removal accessories

Info

Publication number: WO2017100606A1
Application number: PCT/US2016/065874
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Dematteis; Phillip O'TOOLE; Sharon TEMPLETON
Original assignee: Robert Dematteis
Priority date: 2015-12-11
Filing date: 2016-12-09
Publication date: 2017-06-15

Abstract

A time saving beautification accessory comprising a sheet constructed of a thin film defining a flexible body portion with a first side and an opposing second side and defining a first length, a fold line at one end of the body portion, and a pre-folded lip extending away from the fold line on the body portion and folded about the fold line onto a portion of the body portion having a shorter length than the first length.

Description

HAIR TREATMENT AND REMOVAL ACCESSORIES

Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Application No. 62/386,875, filed on December 11, 2015, entitled Sheets with and without prefolded lips and handles, their methods of use, means of dispensing, and processes of manufacturing, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention:

[0002] The present invention relates generally to hair treatment and removal accessories to aid in beautification procedures that may be provided in the form of a sheet typically made of plastic that may be used as a tint strip to segregate hair during the tinting process or a waxing strip that may be used to remove unwanted hair, as well as for other applications in the food and commercial/industrial trades. More specifically, when used as a tint strip for dying hair it relates to a type of tint strip that has superior clarity qualities, preferably with superior non-slip properties, that is easier for users to handle and apply, and may speed up color oxidation. When used as a waxing strip, it significantly improves ease of placement, and speeds-up the hair removal process. Used as a utility sheet in other trades, it provides for superior handling to wrap foods or edible products or perhaps quickly grasp and enfold around an article, such as lenses for cleaning, or around a handled object to protect against contamination. 2. Background Art:

[0003] Foil tint strips are commonly used by stylists as a barrier when coloring hair on a customer's head. Typically a lock of hair is isolated from the underlying and nearby hair on the head, placed atop the foil strip, whereas the stylist brushes dye into the hair, then folds up the foil to help prevent it from slipping and going out of place. This operation is well-known in the trade as may be viewed in many YouTube videos.

[0004] Common, inexpensive, aluminum foil has traditionally been used in salons in such a hair dying or tinting operation for over 25 years. They tend to be inexpensive and prevent color bleed-through. However there are several deficiencies associated with foil tint strips that various alternatives have tried to overcome. A first deficiency is the extra time and careful time management that is required to determine when the color dye has sufficiently oxidized

(processed) to yield the desired color. In order to do this, a stylist must unfold the aluminum strip, peek inside, determine how much longer he/she should allow the processing to continue, and then fold it back up again. This is time consuming at the least, and requires a bit of guesswork and experience. This may be compounded by the various colors and manufacturers whose products react and process differently. [0005] A second deficiency with aluminum foil is the dispensing and use of the strip, in other words, positioning it under the hair lock so the dye can be applied. To do this, a stylist takes a sheet of foil and with one hand folds the end over to make a lip that is folded over a rattail comb held by the other hand. It is then slid under the lock of hair by one hand, and the second hand applies the dye atop the foil strip. This operation tends to take about 5-6 seconds. [0006] The next step exposes a third deficiency, which is the requirement to fold up a foil sheet to prevent slippage. After the dye is applied, the stylist folds the aluminum upwards on the head, and then must take the next steps of folding in the sides of the strip in order to keep the slippery aluminum foil in place. This second operation takes about an extra 5-8 seconds. By the time it takes to dispense a foil tint strip, fold and wrap it around a comb, slide it under a lock of hair, apply the dye, fold it upwards, then fold the side edges inward, 30-40 seconds have gone by. About 10-12 seconds of that time period is dedicated to wrapping and folding a tint strip to keep it in place. When an application requires 30 tint strips, this adds up to extra 5-6 minutes.

[0007] A fourth deficiency with the slippery aluminum foil is slippage. Even with all the extra folding steps a stylist takes, foil may still slip out of place, whereas the stylist has to carefully remove the foil, replace it with a new one, and fold it up in place once again. As can be imagined, it might actually require a third hand since the stylist doesn't want the slipped tint strip to slide down and accidentally dye the adjacent hair, while a new foil strip is being prepared to take its place.

[0008] A fifth deficiency with aluminum foil is related to its environmental qualities.

Aluminum foil has a relatively large carbon footprint, and after the foil tint strips are used they are discarded in common trash. Aluminum foil is rarely recycled, as recyclers don't typically accept it. The yield is small and they are contaminated with dyes generally undesirable for recycling operations. Thus, once deposited in landfills, they either remain there for 500 years or longer, whereas degradation may occur through oxidation. Thus, the aluminum is never used again, nor can it be mined at some future date. Aluminum foil also contributes no suitable feedstock to the LFG to energy landfill sites, such as 40% of the 2122 EPA-LMOP landfills in the United States. [0009] A sixth deficiency is a growing health concern. The evidence that aluminum is associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, and other ailments is very clear and growing. According to Mercola.com, Aluminum toxicity in the brain is real and indicated that Aluminum may be absorbed in many ways. Since most hair dying and tinting applications require the customer to place her (or his) head under a hair dryer to speed-up color oxidation, the aluminum foil is being heated and raises a serious question. More specifically, does the heating of foil on a human's head, adjacent the brain, create and allow aluminum molecules to penetrate the scalp and migrate to the underlying brain tissue?

[00010] There have been various attempts to overcome the above deficiencies at least in part. For example: 1) plastic BOPP sheets are clear see-through sheets that are easy to see through and know when the color oxidation has reached the right shade of color. Likewise, paper tint strips with a plastic window strip running down the middle may be used to view color oxidation without unfolding the strip. Unfortunately both of these types of strips are very expense, more than 2-4 times the price of cheap aluminum foil. They also contain many of the other deficiencies, such as time consuming to fold over and wrap around a comb, and so on. In addition, thin see-through plastic sheets have been used at times, but they require the stylist to use a paddle to set the sheet atop while applying the dye. Due to their slippery nature, they are difficult to use and somewhat tricky to extract and index one at a time from their box. They may be cost competitive to foil, but unfortunately the difficulty of use makes them an unpopular choice in the salon trade. 2) Pop-up foil dispensers do help speed up dispensing, and even with their added cost they have had good reception. While they save a little time to extract and wrap around a comb, they still have most of the other deficiencies of foil. 3) Very thin polystyrene tint strips were introduced to help solve the slippage problem; however they cost 3-4 times the price of foil, and once again, carry many of the other deficiencies of foil. 4) The environmental issues associated with polystyrene and BOPP are equally as poor as aluminum foil, and any combination of plastic glued to paper to create a window is considered a contaminant to recyclers.

[00011] A disposable tint strip that overcomes the numerous deficiencies of prior art, has see- through qualities to watch color oxidize, non-slip properties to keep it in place, is easily dispensed with a pre-folded lip that can be handled with a single hand, would significantly speed up usage and reduce handling and be valuable to the trade.

[00012] Waxing strips are commonly used by stylists with a hot wax to remove unwanted hair. The hot wax is applied to the skin with the unwanted hair on a person's body, such as legs, around the eyebrows, above the lip, as well as many other locations. Then a waxing strip is placed atop the wax, whereas the hot wax sticks to the strip and the unwanted hairs. The waxing operation is usually like this: 1) a wooden stick is used to apply a small amount of heated wax (at times in the salon trade it is referred to as "honee") atop the skin and unwanted hairs thereby adhering the hairs to the wax; 2) a waxing strip is aligned atop the wax, firmly pressed down usually from top to bottom, and adhering the hot wax to the strip, however, leaving the last 1/3 of the strip unattached to the wax; 3) the last 1/3 is then folded over and formed into a handle and; 4) the waxing strip is pulled backwards from bottom to top, and rips out the unwanted hairs by their roots adhered to the wax. This operation is well-known in the trade as may be viewed in YouTube videos. [00013] Waxing strips have traditionally been made from muslin, which has a fibrous, entangling surface that accepts adherence to the hot wax. More recently waxing strips have been made from non-woven plastics with their "fibrous-like" surface and function more or less the same muslin. The art of using wax has a long-standing history with relatively few changes over the years. There are four specific deficiencies with the use of present waxing strips. First, they take some experience and dexterity to make sure they are aligned perfectly atop the wax. Second, since these strips are in flat sheets without pre-formed lips or handles, they tend to be difficult to handle and some require expensive plastic holders and trays, or plastic packaging to keep them in place. Third, forming the handle can sometimes be tricky, time-consuming even. Four, while muslin has sound environmental qualities, non-woven plastics do not. Non-woven plastics are not recyclable and are associated with a 1000-year life once deposited in a landfill.

[00014] One attempt at overcoming the placement issue atop the hot wax is to use a clear plastic sheet, such as Dream Weaver™ strips. They are without question easy to set in place right atop the hot wax, and tend to adhere to the hot wax in order to remove the unwanted hairs. However, they cost about twice the price of muslin and non-woven plastics and are not particularly easy to handle in their sheet form, and are somewhat difficult to form a handle.

[00015] A disposable, waxing strip that overcomes the problems associated with prior art waxing strips, which have see-through qualities in order to quickly, accurately align the strip atop the wax, that dispense easily, and have pre-formed handles, that are cost effective with sound environmental qualities would be valuable to the trade.

SUMMARY

[00016] The tint strips constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention overcome all of the problems associated with prior art tint strips. Their see-through material takes the guesswork out of tinting; their non-slip properties keep the tint strip firmly in place; and pre-folded lips speed up handling and usage, saving time. They are cost-effective and one variety has sound environmental and health qualities. In addition, the tint strips may be made to speed up color oxidation. Overall, a stylist can save 10 minutes or more in a single tinting application. [00017] The tint strips constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention may be made with pre-folded lips that will cooperate with many types of dispensers, and allow stylists to quickly extract a strip and wrap around a finger or other type of article such as a comb handle, and then quickly place it below the lock of hair to be tinted or colored. Such tint strips may be constructed from one or more types of polymers that have excellent contact clarity, and likewise may be made with a non-slip surface that avoids slippage. Like their sister invention, the waxing strips, also constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, may be made to dispense in an optional tabbed dispenser allowing them to be efficaciously removed one-at-a-time. In addition, the material for the tint strips or waxing strips may be made from a degradable form of plastic that when discarded, it degrades in EPA-LMOP landfills. [00018] The waxing strips overcome all of the problems associated with prior art waxing strips.

Their see-through material allows them to be quickly, accurately placed atop hot waxed skin, and with their pre-formed handles, they can be quickly, accurately removed, ripping out the unwanted hairs. Furthermore, they may be made in an FDA approved type of polymer that provides superior health and safety for users and customers. [00019] The waxing strips may also be made with preformed handles in a contour shape that may be efficiently placed atop hot wax to remove unwanted facial hair. For example, around eyebrows, above the upper lip, on the chin, and sideburns. In certain cases they may also be used in the delicate crotch region. The waxing strips are strong, durable, and may also be extracted from the unique tabbed dispenser, which for the smaller contour strips provides far superior handling properties than muslin or non-woven strips, and with a distinct cost advantage.

[00020] When the pre-folded sheets constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention are dispensed by one of two optional tabbed dispensing systems, they incorporate a separable tab at one end of the sheet. The separable tabs are typically bonded together and secured to a detaining element or package, whereas a user can grasp a pre-folded sheet and pull it free from the tab, thus putting it into use.

[00021] The sheets or strips as described herein shall not be considered limited to the above, but may have applications in other uses, such as with folded sheets used in deli and food operations, or any number of product types such as small eye glass cleaning sheets that will easily dispense and be graspable to users. It is an object of this application to illustrate the preferred embodiments and broadly state the methodologies that may be used in order to describe the unique qualities of the present invention. [00022] All of the embodiments summarized above are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. However, despite the discussion of certain embodiments herein, only the appended claims (and not the present summary) are intended to define the invention. The summarized embodiments, and other embodiments and aspects of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00023] Fig. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary tint strip constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. [00024] Fig. IB is a perspective view of the tint strip of Fig. 1 A illustrating the tint strip in use.

[00025] Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a stack of exemplary waxing strips constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[00026] Fig. 2B is a perspective view of an exemplary single waxing strip from the stack in Fig. 2A and illustrating how it is applied to the skin with accuracy. [00027] Fig. 2C is a perspective view of the exemplary single waxing strip in Fig. 2B illustrating how is the waxing strip may be grasped by a preformed handle and remove unwanted hair.

[00028] Fig. 2D is a perspective view of a variation of a waxing strip constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with an aperture in a preformed handle. [00029] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary contoured waxing strip constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[00030] Fig. 4A is a perspective view of an exemplary tabbed stack of pre-folded contoured sheets constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. [00031] Fig. 4B is a perspective view of an exemplary stack of pre-folded sheets constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with detachable apertures in place of a tab.

[00032] Fig. 4C is a plan view of multiple tabbed stacks of pre-folded sheets such as the exemplary contour strips in Figs. 3 and 4A.

[00033] Fig. 4D is a perspective view of the stack of contour waxing strips of Fig. 4C, placed inside an exemplary enclosed dispenser package that serves as a detaining element.

[00034] Fig. 5A is a block diagram showing an exemplary process for manufacturing the pre- folded strips in accordance with the principles of the present invention. [00035] Fig. 5B is a block diagram of exemplary process of manufacturing the tabbed stack of pre-folded sheets in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00036] It is an object of the hair treatment and removal sheets constructed in accordance with the principles of present invention to illustrate their properties and use primarily as a tint strip for hair dying and/or as a waxing strip to remove unwanted hair. However, it is also clear and apparent, that those experienced in related or other retail, industrial/commercial trades and products will quickly understand how these types of present invention sheets may be used in any number of other applications. There is no intention whatsoever to delimit the present invention solely to use in the salon trade as described herein. A. Description of the tint strip of the present invention and its method of use and

manufacture

[00037] In Figs. 1A and IB, an exemplary time saving beautification accessory in the form of a tint strip 10 has a flexible or foldable sheet body 30 with a pre-folded lip 20 extending from a fold line 22 and having a shorter length than the sheet body so as not to cover the entire sheet body when folded. A typical size of a single tint strip would be 5" wide by 9.25" long plus a 1.75" lip with a thickness of 2.25 mils. When used as a tint strip, the sheet body is typically grasped by a user (hair stylist) at the pre-folded lip and wrapped around the handle on a comb, or simply put in place by hand under a lock of hair. The fold line 22 acts as a separator for adjacent sections of hair effectively isolating or separating one section of hair from another. This operation may be accelerated by inserting a comb handle, finger, or other pointed article under lip 20 and in one motion placing the tint strip under a lock of hair. Tint strip 10 may be made from a plastic film with properties that prevent bleed-through of the hair dye, and preferably of a see-through variety such as many of the polyethylene resins and some bioplastics to provide at least one color viewing window 24 or region. It is also desirable to have the tint strip film made of a plastic that has a high co-efficient of friction, such as those referred to as "barefoot" resins (in other words, resins with no additives that might make them slippery) to provide the tint strip 10 with non-slip properties. By having such built-in non-slip properties or a non-slip section 26 on one or both sides of the sheet body, the tint strip tends to stay in place on the head, which avoids slippage and resetting (a common deficiency of prior art foil). The ability of a film to have non-slip properties may be enhanced by treating the film with an electrostatic treater, to raise its dyne level from 32 up to about 38-42 dynes depending on the type of film. The rougher treated surface tends to improve non-slip properties. There are other ways to improve the non-slip qualities of films (polyethylene or otherwise) including certain resin additives, such as any of the common non- slip additives available to the plastics industry. Likewise, there are additives to avoid, such as "slip", which is commonly used to help bags open easier, for example thin produce bags. It will be appreciated that the viewing region 24 and the non-slip section 26 may overlap partially, be contiguous, be coextensive, or spaced apart and that each strip may have one or more viewing regions and/or non-slip sections.

[00038] One other factor that affects usage of film as a tint strip 10 is the thickness of the material. Light gauge films tend to be flimsy and therefore difficult to handle. It requires additional time to put in place under a lock of hair, and usually requires the usage of a flat paddle placed under the lock of hair to keep the flimsy film in place while applying dye to the lock of hair. In contrast, a film that is too thick may be too stiff, not conform well to the contour of a head, and would tend to interfere with handling and setting. When using a low density polyethylene or bioplastic, and other similar films such as blown polypropylenes, a thickness of about 1.75 mil to 2.25 mil or perhaps a little thicker is preferred. A film may have a thinner gauge, for example, one made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), which is stiffer, but those films tend to have a slippery surface with lesser resistance to slippage. The objective of the present invention however, regardless of film types and gauges, is to use a film that is thick enough to handle, thin enough to conform to a head, with non-slip properties that will prevent slippage, regardless of the resin blend or type used. [00039] A third type of film that has superior properties for use as a tint strip is that made from a bio-plastic, such as film available from Tirta Marta and sold under the brand name Ecoplas. While the film tends to have a degree of natural opacity, it does have excellent contact clarity, which facilitates visual verification that the color oxidation of the underlying dye has reached the desired shade. Its inherent non-slip properties when run in a barefoot mode also eliminate the need to fold in the sides (as required by prior art foil) and substantially reduce the slippage and re-setting issues associated with aluminum foil. Other types of bio-plastics also tend to have similar contact clarity, and may have good non-slip properties, however, the tapioca-based resins have a separate benefit in that they can be discarded in a landfill after use and will degrade according to EPA-LMOP landfill standards. Regular plastics may also be made to degrade in EPA-LMOP landfills, providing a suitable additive is blended with the resin that initiates degradation based on the EPA's standards, which is also an object of the present invention.

[00040] Another inherent aspect of the tapioca bio-based films is that the molecular structure tends to be more porous than regular polyethylene and polypropylene films. This microscopic porosity is such that it allows the passage of air, but not fluids. For example, while regular polyethylene films may have a micro-porosity of 1-2 microns, a bio-based resin may be manufactured with a porosity as great as 5-6 microns. Thus, a tapioca-based film manufactured as thus, tends to speed up oxidation of the hair coloring dye. Ecoplas brand film test results show it speeds up oxidation by as much as 10 minutes faster than the use of foil or other films with a lesser micro-porosity. Color oxidation may also be sped up on regular films by the use of micro-perforations, a common process utilized on certain films in the food trade. For example, micro-perforated polypropylene sheets are desirable when packaging sourdough bread. The micro-perforations promote the oxygen/hydrogen gas transmission rate that allows the sourdough crust to harden slightly, a desirable trait for that type of bread. Micro-perforations as such may be applied in various forms, which when incorporated into the present invention, would be in a form that allows air transmission and prevents liquid bleed through.

[00041] The use of pre-folded lip 20 saves hair dressers substantial time with a customer. With pre- folded lips and utilizing the method of placement as described herein, plus having non-slip characteristics that eliminate the need to fold in the sides and resetting a strip that slipped down, out of place, a stylist can save from 10-12 seconds per placement. Since a stylist usually uses from 30-50 tint strips on a customer, this adds up to 5-6 minutes. Furthermore, with the use of a suitable film that speeds up oxidation such as an Ecoplas brand tapioca-based film, or others with suitable micro- perforations, a hair stylist can save 10-15 minutes or more per hair color application per customer. This enormous time savings significantly improve productivity and allows hair stylist to make more money during his/her day at work. There are other ways of improving use and saving time for stylists, for example by color coding the strips. Color coded strips are a common method used by hair stylists to remember a particular starting location for a dye color. This may be done by coloring the sheet itself, by either permanently printing on the sheet or coloring the film as with a color coded section 36 in Fig. 1A. However, it would be better achieved by having a narrow identifying color line along one or more of the side edges 32a and 32b, or a bottom edge 34, thus allowing the much larger inner portion of the sheet with its contact or see-through clarity to be used to monitor color oxidation. This identifying color may also be any number of colored markers in addition to a line, and is preferably located along an outer edge, so it will not obscure the clear view of a stylist who is watching the underlying lock of hair change to the desired color. [00042] In Fig. IB, the exemplary tint strip 10 has been swept up from a table top, preferably from a dispenser package (not shown), by slipping an elongated article 40 under the pre-folded lip 20, pinching the pre-folded lip 20 against the elongated article 40 by finger F and placing the tint strip 10 atop head H underneath lock of hair L (shown in phantom). This one-step motion saves significant time compared to prior art foil. It should be noted that elongated article 40 may be a comb handle, a finger, or any other type of tool typically used in the salon trade. In effect, the pre-folded lip 20 hooks over the elongated article and helps to retain the tint strip in place and thereby aids with more precise placement thus contributing to the time saving aspects of the beautification accessory. Other methods may also be used to grasp and place tint strips of the present invention, for example, simply using the fingers to grasp (or pinch) a pre-folded lip 20, wrap it around a pointed article 40, and place tint strip 10 on the head. Alternatively, a stack of tint strips 10 as illustrated in Fig. 1A may be given to a customer, who can place the stack in her/his lap, then hand one of the tint strips to the hair stylist as needed. The pre-folded lip on the stack of tint strips allows the customer to quickly, easily index one tint strip at a time and hand it to the hair stylist.

B. Description of an exemplary waxing strip and its method of use and manufacture [00043] In Fig. 2A, another exemplary time saving beautification accessory in the form of a topmost waxing strip 110 in a stack 100 of such strips has a flexible body 130 and a pre-folded lip 120 that serves as a handle. When used as an epilating strip, strip 110 may be made from a see-through plastic film with properties suitable for adhering to the wax commonly used in the trade. Various types of low density polyethylene (LDPE) films may be suitable for a waxing strip of the present invention providing it has sufficient adhesion qualities to adhere to the hair-removing wax. One preferable form of see-through film is made from a barefoot linear low density polyethylene

(LLDPE), which tends to have superior adhesion and strength qualities, such as films made from the Lyondell GA501 resin. The ability of a film to adhere to the wax may be further enhanced by treating the film with an electrostatic treater, to raise its dyne level from 32 up to about 40-42 dynes. The rougher treated surface improves adhesion properties. There are other ways to improve the adhesion of wax to a film (polyethylene or otherwise) including certain additives, such as common non-slip additives, to the resin. Barefoot resins and LLDPE resins with non-slip additives are commonly used in the bulk bag industry, for example in packaging 50-90 pound bags of sand, grain, chemicals and the like. The non-slip properties help keep the stacked bags firmly in place when palletized. Adhesion to epilating wax may even be further enhanced by micro perforating the film with generally larger micro-perforations 122 as exaggerated for purposes of description for example in Fig. 2 A. For example, micro-perforations as large as 20 mils thick will provide tiny holes where the wax embeds, further improving the adhesion. Regardless of the type of film used— see-through or opaque— a waxing strip requires sufficient strength to literally rip out (remove) all of the hairs attached to the adhered wax.

[00044] Since see-through clarity (as opposed to contact clarity) is important to plastic waxing strips as will be illustrated in Fig. 2B, the use of Metallocene resins with the LDPE or LLDPE resins may be used to improve the clarity. Likewise, the use of Metallocene resins improves the strength characteristics required to rip out hair as illustrated in Fig. 2C. Another factor to consider in the choice of resin types is related to sanitation and health/infection concerns evident in the waxing industry. A waxing strip of the present invention is preferably made from an FDA approved material. In this regard, the lowest cost of all would most likely be a virgin LLDPE (at times LDPE) resin that is FDA approved. FDA approved materials is not required in the waxing trade, however it is one the industry ought to consider since the removal of hairs exposes the endodermis to microscopic passages (holes) where hair has been removed, exposing it to potential infection. Bear in mind that prior art muslin is not considered an FDA approved material and non-woven fabric is well-known for its ability to harbor bacteria. This leaves waxing strips made from FDA approved virgin polyethylene and packaged in a sanitary dispenser as preferred waxing strips to address sanitation and health concerns.

[00045] The gauge of a waxing strip if made from a strong FDA approved LDPE or LLDPE material may as thin as 1.00 mil, however, a thinner film tends to stretch when the waxing strip is removed and may hinder the hair removal, "ripping out" process. If a thin strip is made from HDPE it may eliminate the stretch, but will also negatively affect the optics and see-through clarity. A waxing strip made from clear LDPE and LLDPE in the 1.75 mil to 2.25 mil range has generally excellent overall properties, clear enough to easily see-through during placement, and strong enough to rip out the unwanted hair. Various blends and other types of films may also be suitable and available in a wide range of thicknesses and clarity, including polypropylenes and various polyethylene blends with various clarity factors. [00046] In Fig. 2B, a waxing strip 110 from the stack 100 in Fig. 2A had been grasped by user U's left hand P, while right hand S is aligning waxing strip 110 accurately atop wax 160 (dotted region) that has been applied to skin E and has adhered to the unwanted hair stubble (now embedded in the wax). The ability to accurately align waxing strip 110 atop wax 160 is due to the clarity of the tint strip film as described in Fig. 2A. This is referred to as a " pull line" in the trade. Simply stated, with see-through clarity, user U can visually see through waxing strip 110 and with hand/eye coordination, place the tint strip precisely where the wax has been applied and line up right side edge 132a where the right side edge of wax 160 has been applied. Upon aligning waxing strip 110 atop was 160, waxing strip 110 is smoothed down in place with either hand, or both, in the same direction as the growth of the underlying hair, thus firmly adhering the wax 160 to waxing strip 110. This operation takes out the guesswork and prepares the waxing strip for subsequent removal of the hair. As illustrated, note that below the bottom portion 134 of waxing strip 110 at location 170, there is no wax on skin E. Wax is typically applied in a section of skin that is about 1/3 smaller than the overall size of the waxing strip. Since most standard waxing strips are 3" wide by 9" long, this means that wax is applied along an approximate 3" x 6" long segment. The reason for this is because the last 1/3 of prior art waxing strips is rolled up to form a handle. With the preformed handle of the waxing strip of the present invention being sized proportionate to its overall length, it can be instantly grasped and the hair instantly removed as described in detail in Fig. 2C. In fact, the handle may be slightly shorter since it does not need to be rolled up, thereby allowing the user to remove a bit more wax than would otherwise be possible with a waxing strip with a rolled up (or folded up as the case may be) handle.

[00047] In Fig. 2C, the handle 120 of waxing strip 110 is grasped by user's left hand P and has begun ripping upward (arrows) against the grain of the unwanted hairs. This operation removes the hairs that are adhered to wax 160, which is now firmly adhered to waxing strip body 130. The use of a pre-formed handle 120 saves users time and ensures they are grasping the waxing strip in the proper location. For neophytes learning how to use waxing strips, this is a relatively important concept to learn. In other words, finding the exact location to roll up and form a handle on a prior art waxing strip is a learning process. The embodiments described herein and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention take out the guesswork. Generally speaking the preformed handles on the present invention are about 2" long, but this may vary depending on preference. It is certainly conceivable to have pre-formed handles as short as 1", whereas the user rolls it up, but this takes additional time. Likewise, longer handles may be as long as 3" (in other words 1/3 of the 9" overall length), however the user may then lose some of his/her leverage to rip out the unwanted hair. To gain this leverage it is desirable to have at least a small portion 134 of the waxing strip body 130, which lies directly below handle 120 to not be adhered to the wax so that the user can effectively pull upwards. If the un-adhered portion 134 is about 1" long and the preformed handle is 2" long, then the remaining 6" of waxing strip body 130 is adhered to the wax, which is a common practice as previously stated. It goes without saying that waxing strips may be of virtually any size, length and width, however, if the strips are too small, it could become time consuming, and; if the strips are too large, they may be unwieldy to apply and require added strength to rip upwards when adhered to a larger patch of applied wax.

[00048] In Fig. 2D the waxing strip 210 is much like those illustrated in Figs. 2A - 2C, with a body 230 and a pre-folded lip 220 that serves as a handle. However, handle 220 has an aperture 222 that serves as a slot whereas a user can insert one or more fingers when grasping handle 220 and ripping out hairs. Ideally this type of apertured handle would be made during the manufacturing process in a die-cutting process and would be of a type that would have good strength qualities when pulled to rip out hair. Generally speaking, racetrack handles are of a weaker variety, which could be offset by thicker, stronger, film. Handle aperture 222 is of variety revealed in US Patent 5,338,488 which would be preferred for two reasons. First, it tends to be stronger than a racetrack handle, and second; it naturally displays the stress evenly across the 3" web width (illustrated by arrows) of waxing strip 220. In doing so, the waxing strip will evenly strip off the underlying adhered hair. Whatever choice of die-cut aperture is used, it is preferred to have it wide enough to apply even stress across the web. Small apertures located in a central location will focus the stress along a centralized band, and very wide handles may cause the handle to be tilted in its plane and tear off the adhered wax/hair unevenly. Likewise, a wide handle would tend to be weaker along the side edges and vulnerable to tearing. Other variations to the handle aperture illustrated herein would be having two handle holes side by side on the pre-formed handle or a pair of aligned handle holes, one located on the preformed handle and another located directly underneath on the waxing strip body. A handle could also be pre-formed, for example, in an injection molded process and then attached to the end of the waxing strip body by heat sealing or adhesive. An attached handle increases the cost of a waxing strip. Last, anyone skilled in the art can also understand that one or more apertures may also be located on a flat waxing strip that has no pre-formed lip, whereas the aperture serves essentially the same function as disclosed herein. [00049] In Fig. 3, an exemplary contour waxing strip 310 of the present invention has a contour shaped body 330, with curved outermost elongated opposing edges, and a pre-folded lip 320 that serves as a handle. Waxing strip 310 is usually small in size, perhaps 1" wide by 4" long and may be made from the same types of films as disclosed herein— LDPE, LLDPE, polypropylene, HDPE blends and so on— and preferably from a see-through plastic film with properties suitable for adhering to the epilating wax. This contour shape is specifically designed for use on the face and at times, other sensitive bodily locations, such as the crotch region. The contour shape is such that it conforms to the curvature below and above eyebrows, below and above the lips, and adjacent sideburns and the ear. In the crotch region it may be used to create a bikini line as deemed desirable. All of these locations are more difficult for waxing professionals and requires more care in applying wax, and removing unwanted hair with a waxing strip. When the present invention contour waxing strip 320 is made in a clear plastic film, it becomes significantly easier to accurately apply atop the wax on the facial (or crotch) location and then, with its convenient handle 320, quickly remove the unwanted hair. It goes without saying that this type of smaller strip may be used in many other areas of the body and may be sized with many other dimensions and configurations. If they are clear, they may even be made as a small rectangular strip and still be an improvement over existing facial waxing strips made of muslin or non-woven, such as those made by the Satin Smooth company.

C. Optional dispensing and dispenser for sheet articles of the present invention

[00050] In Fig. 4A, an exemplary stack 300 consists of a multitude of contour waxing strips like those illustrated in Fig. 3 and are connected to tab 350 by aligned perforations 352. In such a configuration, the topmost contour strip 312 may be grasped by its handle 322 and separated from tab 350, and subsequently put into use as previously described. Upon removal of the topmost strip 312 in stack 300 from tab 350, the next strip in sequence then becomes the topmost strip, and ready for subsequent detachment. The tab in a stack of waxing strips of the present invention may be located at any one end or side of the waxing strip, including at the end of the handle. Likewise, the waxing strip may or may not have pre-formed handles. As illustrated, tab 350 has a central aperture 354, which may be attached to a detainer such as a hook. Tab 350 may also be detained by other means, such as pinching it in a closed drawer, or setting something heavy atop it. An alternative to the use of a tab, would be the use of to use in its place a tear-away detaining aperture, which is depicted in Fig. 4B. [00051] In Fig. 4B, an exemplary sheet stack 400 consists of rectangular sheets made with one or more of the film qualities previously described herein, depending on the application. However, in this illustration the stack of sheets 400 incorporates aligned tear-away detaining apertures 450 instead of a tab such as tab 350 illustrated in Fig. 4A. Aligned tear-away apertures 450 have a slit 452 that has a very narrow gap 455 along stack end 456. Aligned apertures 450 of sheet stack 400 would typically be mounted on some sort of detaining means such as a hook or post. In this case, the stack of individual sheets are securely affixed together, for example with pinholes 403a and 403b made by piercing needles, of may be secured in an aligned disposition by the use of pressure pins and so on. To dispense a sheet, the user simply pulls on a topmost strip (in the direction of the arrows) and it will separate from detainer 458 at slit 452, by tearing at the narrow gap 455. [00052] In Fig. 4C, an exemplary tabbed stack 500 consists of a first stack of sheets 510 and a second stack of sheets 610 with their aligned pre-formed handles 520 and 620 respectively. They are much like the single sheet illustrated in Fig. 3, however they are attached at a common central tab location 550 by aligned perforations 552a and 552b. It is easy to understand that there may be any number of pre-folded sheets attached to a tab for subsequent dispensing, including perhaps a dozen stacks or more, aligned adjacent one another. Such sheets may or may not have pre-formed lips, and may or may not have one or more of the film qualities referenced herein.

[00053] In Fig. 4D, an exemplary pre-folded stacks of sheets 710 and 810 are like the contour strips illustrated in Fig. 4C, and are connected to a common central tab 750, which tab in turn is fixedly attached to a dispenser package 760. The tab 750 would typically be attached to package 760 by adhesive or heat sealing. Dispenser package 760 is enclosed with a front side 762 and a back side (not shown) and has two opposing perforated dispenser openings 770 and 870 (defined by scallop-shaped perforation lines) located on front panel 762, and are disposed directly atop the underlying pre-folded handles 720 and 820 of stacks 710 and 810 respectively. This type of package would typically be made of chipboard or a plastic material, with its dispenser openings removable by tearing away at the perforations that comprise their sides. As illustrated dispenser opening 770 has not been opened, whereas dispenser opening 870 has been opened. Poking outside of dispenser opening 870 is a topmost handle 822 of topmost sheet 812, thus ready for a user to easily grasp and dispense by detaching it from the tab 750. Upon dispensing topmost sheet 812 the next sheet in sequence then become the topmost sheet, ready for subsequent dispensing as its pre-formed handle pops-out of the dispenser. In this particular illustration this stack of sheets would be suitable for use as contour waxing strips of the present invention. The two complimentary contour strips would be suitable for use on a left eyebrow and right eyebrow, left sideburn and right sideburn, or in any other desired way.

[00054] The package illustrated in Fig. 4D may be used in any number of configurations, including rectangular sheet articles, round sheet articles, even bags for various purposes. The articles being dispensed may be used for waxing strips, highlighting strips, food service tissues, sandwich wraps, and so on. It is the intention of this disclosing the present invention without prejudice to the types of articles and with any multitude of uses.

D. Manufacture of the sheets of the present invention

[00055] In block diagram Fig. 5 A, the generally preferred manufacturing process of strips in accordance with the principles of the present invention in sequence begins with extruding the film sheeting 900 followed by one or more optional steps including optionally coloring one or more portions of the extruded film 910, optionally embossing its surface with indicia or otherwise 920, optionally treating the film to a preferred dyne level 930, and optionally punching one or more apertures on the film 940, optionally preforming a lip or fold 950, and; subsequently winding up extruded film 910 once again 952, or; cutting and stacking it into individual sheets 954 for further processing.

[00056] In block diagram Fig. 5B, the film 902 may be manufactured per one or more options in Fig. 5 A and then optionally punched with one or more apertures 970; optionally folded with lips 971; cut into sheets and stacked if not done previously 972; optionally formed with perforated tabs or tear- away apertures 973; optionally releasably attached to one another in its stack 974 for example by a tab, aperture, pins, pressure points and so on; optionally fixedly attaching a tab in the stack to an outer package 980, and/or; optionally inserting the stacked sheets into a package 982 for subsequent use or dispensing. Completion of this process allows the stacks and sheets to be individually removed as desired, whether one at a time in a stack, from a dispenser package, or form a detaining means. All of these manufacturing processes of the present invention may be accomplished manually, fully automated, or a combination of both.

[00057] In summary, sheet embodiments described herein and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention may or may not be pre-folded, may or may not be clear, may or may not be partially or fully colored, may or may not be in stacks, may or may not be dispensed from a container or from a detaining means, and may be used for highlighting hair, as an epilator, or other enfolding and wrapping applications, for example neck strips commonly used by barbers and stylists, sandwiches wrapped at a deli, meats in a butcher shop, or any other object where a sanitary barrier is desired. They may be dispensed and applied in many applications, all of which improve the ease, accuracy, sanitation and speed of use. The variations of sheet construction, including material selection, may accomplish one or more objectives set forth herein.

E. Variations

[00058] The spirit of the present invention provides a breadth of scope that includes all methods of making and using the same. Any variation on the theme and methodology of accomplishing the same that are not described herein regardless of size, shape, or end use, would be considered under the scope of the present invention.

[00059] Certain objects and advantages of the invention are described herein. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. [00060] Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure.

[00061] It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A time saving beautification accessory comprising:

a sheet constructed of a thin film defining a flexible body portion with a first side and an opposing second side and defining a first length;

a fold line at one end of the flexible body portion; and

a pre-folded lip extending away from the fold line on the body portion and folded about the fold line onto a portion of the flexible body portion having a shorter length than the first length.

2. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the flexible body portion defines a tint strip with at least one of the sides having a non-slip region constructed to resist sliding of the flexible body portion relative to a section of hair when in contact with the non-slip region;

the fold line at one end of the tint strip defines a hair separator; and

the pre-folded lip is constructed to hook over an elongated article to dispose the elongated article between the pre-folded lip and the tint strip adjacent the fold line, the fold line being insertable between a first section of hair and a surrounding section of hair to isolate the first section of hair on one side of the tint strip from the surrounding section of hair adjacent the other side of the tint strip with the tint strip forming a color barrier such that a coloring agent may be selectively applied to the isolated first section of hair separately from the surrounding section of hair.

3. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 2 wherein:

the tint strip further includes at least one color viewing portion with sufficient transparency to view the color of the section of hair when placed behind or placed in contact with the color viewing portion.

4. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 2 wherein:

a pair of opposing edges of the tint strip are constructed to fold inwardly toward one another and releasably attach together after applying the coloring agent to the isolated section of hair.

5. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the film is constructed of a polyethylene based material with a thickness ranging from 1.00 mil to 2.25 mil.

6. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the film is constructed of a biodegradable plastic selected to degrade faster than foil.

7. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 2 wherein:

the film is constructed of a tapioca based resin material with a set of pores allowing air to pass through while inhibiting liquids from passing through to aid in the process of oxidizing the coloring agent.

8. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the sheet is constructed of a material selected from a group consisting of one or more types of plastics including polymers, monomers, or bio-plastics.

9. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 2 wherein:

the tint strip is constructed of a material selected with a porosity sufficiently small to prevent the coloring agent from seeping through.

10. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the sheet includes at least one edge removably attached to a dispensing tab.

11. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the sheet is constructed of an FDA approved material.

12. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 2 wherein:

at least one side of the flexible body portion is roughened up to 38-42 dynes to provide the non-slip region.

13. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 3 wherein:

the film is constructed with the non-slip region at least partially overlapping the color viewing portion.

14. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the sheet is made from a material that has an ASTM verified degradation agent to allow it to degrade in EPA-LMOP landfills.

15. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the material of the flexible body portion is constructed from a low density polyethylene or a linear low density polyethylene treated with a stiffening substance.

16. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the material of the flexible body portion is constructed from a low density polyethylene or a linear low density polyethylene formed using a cooperative extrusion blow-up ratio.

17. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 1 wherein:

the flexible body portion defines a hair removal strip with at least one of the sides constructed to be aligned with and secured to a section of applied wax coating a section of unwanted hair, the hair removal strip further including at least one viewing portion with sufficient transparency to view the location of the section of applied wax when placed thereover to align the hair removal strip with a pull line on the wax; and

the pre-folded lip forms a handle constructed to be pulled to remove the hair removal strip with the unwanted hair embedded in the applied wax secured to the at least one side of the hair removal strip.

18. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 17 wherein:

the outer edges of the hair removal strip are curved.

19. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 17 wherein:

the hair removal strip is releasably attached to a dispensing tab.

20. The time saving beautification accessory of claim 17 wherein:

the hair removal strip contains at least one tearaway aperture.

21. A time saving wrapping accessory comprising:

a sheet constructed of a thin film defining a flexible body portion with a first side and an opposing second side and defining a first length, the flexible body portion;

a fold line at one end of the body portion; and

a pre-folded lip extending away from the fold line on the body portion and folded about the fold line onto a portion of the body portion having a shorter length than the first length whereby a user may engage the pre-folded lip and wrap the flexible body portion about an article, an object, a bodily portion, or a section of hair.

22. The time saving wrapping accessory of claim 21 wherein:

the bodily portion is a recipient's neck and the sheet provides a sanitary barrier between the recipient's neck and an adjacent article of clothing.

23. The time saving wrapping accessory of claim 21 wherein:

the article is an edible substance.

24. A method of isolating one or more groupings of hair for the application of a coloring agent comprising the steps of:

providing a thin sheet of material with a flexible body portion with a first side and an opposing second side with at least one side having a non-slip region, the body portion defining a full length and having at least one see-through region and terminating in a fold line at one edge, the thin sheet further including a pre-folded lip extending from the fold line and folded back onto a portion of the body portion having a shorter length than the full length;

capturing the thin sheet by inserting an elongated article between the pre-folded lip and the body portion and pinching the sheet between a finger and the elongated article;

inserting the fold line of the thin sheet of material between a first section of hair and an adjacent section of hair to dispose at least a portion of the non-slip region of the thin sheet in contact with the first section of hair; and

adding a hair coloring agent to the first section of hair; and

wrapping the flexible body portion of the thin sheet about the first section of hair with at least a portion of the first section of hair remaining visible through the see-through region.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring an amount of oxidation of the hair coloring agent applied to the first section of hair at least periodically through the see-through region to determine when the coloring of the first section of hair is complete; and

unwrapping the thin sheet from the first section of hair.

26. A method of dispensing a sheet comprising the steps of:

providing a thin sheet with a flexible body portion with a first side and an opposing second side and defining a first length, the body portion further constructed with at least one see-through region and terminating in a fold line at one edge, the thin sheet further including a pre-folded lip extending from the fold line and folded back onto a portion of the body portion having a shorter length than the first length;

attaching at least one edge of the body portion to a tear-away tab; and

engaging the pre-folded lip and separating the sheet from the tab.

27. A method of manufacturing a wrapping accessory sheet comprising the steps of:

extruding a length of film to provide a thin sheet with a flexible body portion having a first side and an opposing second side, the flexible body portion defining a full length and further constructed with at least one see-through region;

coloring one or more portions of the thin sheet;

embossing a portion of the thin sheet;

treating the surface of at least one side of the thin sheet to define a non-slip region;

punching one or more apertures in the thin sheet;

folding a section of the body portion about a fold line to define a pre-folded lip section folded back onto a portion of the body portion shorter than the full length; and

cutting and stacking the extruded film to define a plurality of stacked thin sheets.

28. A method of manufacturing a wrapping accessory sheet comprising the steps of:

extruding a length of film to provide a thin sheet with a flexible body portion having a first side and an opposing second side with at least one side having a non-slip region, the flexible body portion defining a first length and further constructed with at least one see-through region;

punching at least one thin sheet with at least one aperture;

folding a section of the body portion about a fold line to define a pre-folded lip section folded back onto a portion of the body portion;

cutting and stacking the thin sheets;

forming at least one perforated tear-away aperture in one or more thin sheets to defined a tabbed section;

releasably attaching at least one thin sheet to at least one other thin sheet in a stack of thin sheets;

attaching a tabbed stack to an outer package; and

inserting the stacked sheets into a dispenser package for sequential retrieval.