Reusable adhesive body apparel
Reusable adhesive body apparel is disclosed. The reusable adhesive body apparel includes a decorative component and an adhesive component coupled to the decorative component. The adhesive component is formed of a material that permits the apparel to be reused multiple times. In one configuration, the apparel includes an adhesive tape with a decorative image provided on a non-adhesive surface of the tape, and a gel coupled to the adhesive surface of the tape. In another configuration, the apparel includes a decorative component with an uneven surface topography, and an adhesive gel. The apparel may be used for any suitable purpose, for example, the apparel may be used as a breast cover, a bathing suit, a costume, or a tattoo.
This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of PCT/US2004/037752 filed on Nov. 12, 2004, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/714,250, filed on Nov. 14, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,935.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adhesive body apparel. More specifically, the present invention relates to body apparel that has an adhesive component that permits the apparel to be applied and removed from a body surface multiple times.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adhesive body apparel refers to many different types of products that adhere to a person's body. The apparel may be used instead of, or as an accessory to, clothing. Body apparel is often worn to provide a decorative or fashionable appearance to a person wearing the apparel. For example, a temporary tattoo may be considered adhesive body apparel because it is applied to a person's skin with the use of water to allow a tattoo image to adhere to the skin. Tattoos are not reusable because they are typically completely destroyed as they are removed from a person's skin. In addition, a nipple or a breast cover may be considered adhesive body apparel. Nipple covers that many women wear are designed for a single use. In that regard, existing nipple covers use an adhesive that loses most, if not all, of its adhesive properties after removal from a woman's skin. Current nipple covers are not guaranteed to be reusable. In addition, the adhesive used in conventional nipple covers requires substantial amounts of care in application and removal, especially since adhesive nipple covers tend to cause pain or discomfort when they are removed from sensitive regions of a person's body, such as a nipple.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for adhesive body apparel that addresses the shortcomings associated with existing adhesive body apparel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention disclosed herein relates to body apparel, such as clothing, swimming suits, costumes, and the like. More specifically, the invention relates to body apparel which is adhesively applied to a body surface, such as a body surface of a person, and remains fixed thereon for extended periods of time. The apparel can be removed and reapplied multiple times, and can be reused without causing significant amounts of discomfort to the person wearing the apparel. Reuse of the apparel does not require any particular preparation or care of the skin on which the apparel is placed or of the apparel itself.
As used herein, the phrase “body apparel” refers to any attire that may be worn by a person to conceal one or more portions of the person's body. People generally prefer to wear attire which provides certain desirable aesthetic effects. Accordingly, in reference to the disclosure herein, “body apparel” specifically excludes non-decorative or non-fashionable items, such as reusable medical electrodes, bandaids, and other medical devices. “Body apparel”, as used herein, also refers to a single element, or multiple elements; thus, the term “body apparel” is understood to refer one or more elements which may be placed on a person's body.
Generally, reusable adhesive body apparel in accordance with the disclosure herein includes a decorative component and an adhesive component. The decorative component is configured, formed, or shaped to provide a decorative appearance to a body surface on which the apparel is applied. The adhesive component is coupled to the decorative component. The adhesive component facilitates adhesion of the decorative component to the body surface. The adhesive component is formed of a material that enables the apparel to adhere to the body surface at least one additional time after removal from the body surface. In other words, the apparel can be applied and removed from the body surface multiple times, such as two or more times, as desired. Advantageously, the apparel can be removed from the body surface of a person without causing significant amounts of pain to the person, and the apparel can be reapplied on the person without requiring substantial modification to the adhesive component, the decorative component, the apparel in general, or to the person's skin.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and claims. Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, any feature or combination of features may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention disclosed herein relates to reusable adhesive body apparel. The body apparel of the present invention is fashionable and may be worn in lieu of, or in addition to, regular clothing or attire that a person may wear. In addition, the body apparel may be used as a costume and the like for events such as Halloween and costume parties, or the body apparel may be used as a swimming suit for swimming in water, such as a pool, lake, ocean, river, and the like. The body apparel disclosed herein is easy to manufacture, easy to use, and provides an alternative to conventional attire.
The body apparel disclosed herein is adhesive and reusable. The body apparel is applied to a body surface by placing an adhesive portion of the apparel on a body surface. The body surface is typically a body of a person, but when the apparel is used for modeling or display purposes, the body surface may also include surfaces of inanimate objects, such as mannequins and the like. When the apparel is placed on a body surface, the apparel remains in a substantially fixed position on the body surface. In other words, the apparel does not inadvertently move from one region of the body to another region. In addition, substantially all of the apparel remains in contact with the body surface when it is adhered thereto.
When a person wishes to remove the apparel, the apparel may be grasped by its edge and “peeled” from the body surface. Importantly, removal of the body apparel does not cause or result in significant pain or discomfort to a person wearing the apparel, and in certain embodiments, removal occurs without any pain, even when the apparel is removed rapidly. Unlike existing products, the apparel disclosed herein is reusable, or stated differently, the apparel may be applied and removed multiple times, and preferably, may be reused indefinitely without substantial modification to the apparel. For example, the adhesive component does not need to be warmed to be reapplied to a body surface. In addition, the adhesive component and/or the body surface does not necessarily need to be washed or cleaned before the apparel is applied or reapplied to the body surface. Because the apparel may be in direct contact with the skin of a person, the materials of the apparel are desirably non-bioreactive. Thus, the application and removal of the apparel from a person results in minimal, if any, adverse reaction, such as skin irritation or discoloration, from the products. In certain embodiments of the apparel, the decorative component and the adhesive component are made from medical grade products, as discussed herein.
Referring to the figures, and specifically
The adhesive component 14 is coupled or otherwise attached to the decorative component 12 to facilitate adhesion of the decorative component to the body surface. The adhesive component is formed of a material that enables the apparel to adhere to a body surface, such as skin of a person, and be removed therefrom multiple times. In other words, the adhesive component 14 is made of a material that enables the apparel to adhere to the body surface at least one additional time after removal from the body surface.
In certain embodiments, the apparel may be reused, for example, used two or more times, and more preferably, the apparel may be reused indefinitely by maintaining the adhesive properties of the adhesive component 14, for example, by maintaining a moisture content of the adhesive component so that it remains adhesive. The moisture content can be controlled by controlling the amount of water present in the adhesive component, for example. Importantly, in such embodiments, the adhesive component 14 is formed of a material which permits the apparel 10 to be applied and removed from a body surface without requiring substantial modification to the body apparel, the decorative component, or the adhesive component. For example, the apparel 10 may be applied to and removed from a body surface multiple times, such as more than two times, by placing the adhesive component 14 in contact with a body surface and by lifting the apparel 10 from the body surface to remove it. It is not necessary, and is preferable, not to require warming of the adhesive component when reapplying the apparel to a body surface. When not in use, the apparel 10 may be placed on a backing substrate, such as a wax paper or plastic sheet, by placing the adhesive component on the backing substrate.
Depending on the particular type of apparel desired, the decorative component 12 may be formed as a relatively thin sheet of material, or it may be formed as a three-dimensional object, such as an object having a substantial thickness. Thus, the decorative component 12 may be planar or flat, or it may include a surface with an uneven or non-flat surface topography. The decorative component 12 may be stretchable or non-stretchable.
In the embodiment illustrated in
In at least one embodiment of the apparel 10, the decorative component 12 comprises a decorative image provided on an adhesive tape. The decorative image may be provided on the tape using any suitable process, including printing, painting, dyeing, sewing, and the like. In one embodiment, the decorative image is a print of a digital image of an object. The digital image may be any image that can be stored on a computer or computer-like device. Thus, the digital image includes, but is not limited to, digital photographs, scanned images obtained with a conventional scanner, digital drawings, and the like. The digital image may be printed on the tape using any conventional technique and device. For example, the decorative image may be printed onto the tape using an ink jet printer, which may be coupled to a conventional personal computer. Or, the decorative image may be printed on the tape using a commercial printing apparatus, which may provide enhanced printing capabilities.
The decorative image may be any image that provides a desired visual effect for the person wearing the apparel. As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment of the apparel, the decorative component 12 comprises a material having an adhesive surface 12b (see
In certain embodiments, the decorative component comprises a tape having an adhesive surface and a non-adhesive surface, as indicated herein. In order to enhance the fitting effects of the apparel of these embodiments, the tape may be elastic or stretchable, thereby providing some resilience and flexibility in shaping the apparel on the body surface. To promote effective and desirable image properties, such as sharp detailed images, the tape may be made of a non-woven material, and in certain embodiments, the non-woven material is provided on the non-adhesive surface. In certain additional embodiments, the tape is breathable, or in other words, permits gas, such as air, to flow therethrough. Any tape having one or more of these features may be used in the manufacture of the apparel disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the tape of the apparel is publicly available from 3M Health Care (St. Paul, Minn.) and is identified as 3M No. 9907. Tapes that are useful in accordance with the apparel disclosed herein should be capable of bearing a detailed decorative image and should include an adhesive surface that securely holds the adhesive component 14 thereon so that removal of the apparel 10 from a body surface does not result in separation of the adhesive component 14 from the decorative component 12. Tapes used with the apparel disclosed herein are typically medically safe.
In certain embodiments of the apparel 10, the adhesive component comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of a water swellable polymer. More specifically, the adhesive component 14 may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of a hydrogel. Hydrogels suitable with the body apparel disclosed herein are publicly available, and as indicated herein, preferably are non-bioreactive. Hydrogels may have a tackiness that is effective to prevent the apparel from inadvertently moving from the body surface to which it is applied but is also effective to reduce any discomfort when the apparel is removed from the body surface. Hydrogels that are useful may also have some rewettability properties and a high dry out resistance, which may be effective to retain the desired adhesive properties of the gel. One example of a suitable hydrogel is the AG603 sensing gel available from AmGel Technologies (Fallbrook, Calif.). Another example of a hydrogel useful with the present apparel is the RG-63B hydrogel available from Ludlow Technical Products (Chicopee, Mass.). Hydrogels are examples of water-containing adhesives.
The adhesive component 14 of the apparel 10 is typically relatively thin so as to reduce the visibility of the adhesive component when the apparel 10 is worn by a person. In certain embodiments, the adhesive component 14 has a thickness less than about 0.04 inches. In additional embodiments, the adhesive component 14 has a thickness of about 0.025 inches or less. In some embodiments, the apparel has a thickness greater than the thickness of a conventional temporary tattoo. To further deduce the visibility of the adhesive component, the adhesive component 14 may be dimensioned similar to the decorative component 12 so that little, if any, of the adhesive component 14 is visible when viewed from the front, such as shown in
As shown in
In one specific embodiment, the decorative component of the apparel consists of a decorative image provided on a non-adhesive surface of an elastic or stretchable, non-woven tape, and the adhesive component consists of a hydrogel layer placed on an adhesive surface of the elastic, non-woven tape.
In another embodiment of the apparel 10, the decorative component includes an exposed first surface when the apparel is applied to a body surface, and a non-exposed second surface coupled to the adhesive component of the apparel, wherein the exposed first surface has an uneven surface topography. Or, in comparison to the embodiment described hereinabove, the decorative component is a three dimensional object. For example, the decorative component may comprise a natural or a synthetic flower. Or, the decorative component may comprise a tassel extending from the exposed first surface, among other things. The decorative component of these apparel may comprise a non-stretchable material. However, these apparel may also comprise a stretchable adhesive component.
In addition to being used as a nipple cover, the body apparel disclosed herein may also be used as a costume, such as a mask, and the like. For example, the body apparel may be dimensioned to cover substantially all of a persons face, or the body apparel may be dimensioned to cover a portion of the person's face, such as a chin, a cheek, a nose, a forehead, and the like. The apparel may also be used as a bathing suit or swimming suit. In one embodiment, when the apparel is shaped as a bikini bottom for a woman, the adhesive component of the apparel may be provided on only a portion of the apparel, such as one or more strips or portions located around the waist line of the bikini bottom. Advantageously, it has been discovered that once applied to a body surface, the adhesive properties of the adhesive component do not substantially change when the apparel is worn in water. In addition, the apparel may be used as a body tattoo. Advantageously, the tattoos can be easily applied and removed, and reused, relative to existing tattoos.
Swimming suit types of apparel may comprise an adhesive component 14 which contacts a body surface, and that comprises a material effective in adhering to a body surface of a person when the person is in water, such as when the person is swimming. In other words, in these embodiments, the apparel 10 remains attached to a body surface of a person when the person is swimming or engaging in other water activities. The material of these adhesive components 14 may be different than the material of the adhesive component described above. For example, the adhesive component 14 of swimming suit apparel, including apparel which covers a person's nipple, may comprise a material other than a hydrogel. Thus, the adhesive component 14 of the swimming suit apparel may be a non-water based adhesive or a non-water containing adhesive, including a non-water based gel. Such a non-water based adhesive helps to maintain adhesion of the swimming suit apparel on a body surface when located in water. For example, using a non-water based adhesive, the swimming suit apparel is insured to adhere to the skin of a person while the person is swimming or is in water. Based on this disclosure, it may be understood that the adhesive component may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist entirely of an adhesive that is substantially free from water. One example of a non-water based adhesive is a gel material comprising carboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, elastomers, and pectin.
In the swimming suit apparel, such as the apparel configured to cover a person's nipple, the non-water based adhesive may be provided as a ring or a rim having a centrally located opening to accommodate a person's nipple. The ring or rim may be provided in the shape of a circle, rectangle, triangle, or other geometric shape or pattern. For purposes of convenience, it may be understood that such a ring or rim may be referred to as a “swim lock ring” or a “swim lock rim”. The ring or rim may be a continuous structure, or it may comprise a plurality of adhesive elements arranged in a ring or rim shape. Thus, there may be voids or spaces between the individual adhesive elements.
The non-water based adhesive component may be applied directly to the decorative component, such as the adhesive surface of the decorative component, as described above. Or, in other embodiments, the non-water based adhesive may be applied to a different adhesive component that is attached to the decorative component. For example, when the decorative component comprises a tape having an adhesive surface, and the apparel comprises a hydrogel attached to the adhesive surface of the tape, the non-water based adhesive may be attached to the hydrogel. Thus, in these embodiments, the apparel may be understood to comprise three adhesive portions, such as (1) the adhesive surface of the tape or decorative component, (ii) the adhesive hydrogel attached to the adhesive surface of the decorative component, and (iii) the non-water based adhesive attached to the hydrogel. In these embodiments, the adhesive component comprises the adhesive hydrogel and the non-water based or non-water containing adhesive attached to the hydrogel. As used herein, the term “non-water based” or “non-water containing” refers to adhesives which are substantially free of water.
Apparel comprising the non-water based adhesive may be reused as described above. However, the apparel may also be reused by separating the non-water based adhesive from the adhesive surface of the decorative component or from the adhesive component that is attached to the adhesive surface of the decorative component. Additional non-water based adhesive may then be applied to the underlying, and now exposed, adhesive. For example, after removal of a “swim lock ring” from the hydrogel or the adhesive surface of the decorative component, another unused “swim lock ring” can be applied to the adhesive surface of the decorative component or the hydrogel, and the apparel can be worn again as a swimsuit. Advantageously, adhering the non-water based hydrogel to a hydrogel that is attached to the adhesive surface of the decorative component may be effective in preventing or reducing curling or flipping of the edges of the apparel.
Thus, another aspect of the invention is directed to a package comprising reusable adhesive body apparel, as disclosed herein, in combination with a plurality of additional adhesive components, such as “swim lock rings”. The additional adhesive components can be applied to the apparel to increase the thickness of the apparel, or to replace the adhesive component attached to the decorative component. The present invention thus may also encompass packages of replacement adhesive components that can be purchased for use on existing or previously purchased apparel.
While certain embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and are described herein, including preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced with the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A reusable adhesive nipple cover, comprising an outer component dimensioned to cover a nipple on a body surface; and an adhesive component coupled to the outer component to facilitate adhesion of the nipple cover to the body surface, wherein the adhesive component is formed of a material that enables the nipple cover to adhere to the body surface at least one additional time after removal from the body surface.
2. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the outer component is substantially flat when the nipple cover is placed on the body surface.
3. The nipple cover of claim 2, wherein the nipple cover is non-visible when worn under clothes.
4. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component comprises a hydrogel.
5. The nipple cover of claim 4, wherein the hydrogel comprises an opening positioned to provide a non-adhesive portion over the nipple.
6. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component comprises a non-adhesive portion over the nipple.
7. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component has a thickness less than about 0.04 inches.
8. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component comprises a material effective to adhere to the body surface multiple times, and to be removed from the body surface with out causing pain.
9. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component comprises a material effective to adhere to the body surface multiple times without requiring substantial modification to the adhesive component or to the body surface.
10. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the adhesive component comprises a material that enables the nipple cover to adhere to the body surface at least one additional time after removal from the body surface without substantial modification of the nipple cover.
11. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the outer component comprises a stretchable material.
12. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the outer component comprises a non-stretchable material and the adhesive component comprises a stretchable material.
13. The nipple cover of claim 1, wherein the outer component is shaped like a flower.
14. The nipple cover of claim 13, wherein the flower has petals.
15. A reusable adhesive swimsuit top, comprising a pair of decorative components, each dimensioned to cover at least a nipple, on a breast, wherein each decorative component comprises an adhesive component adapted to facilitate adhesion of the decorative component to the breast, wherein the adhesive component is formed of a material that enables the swimsuit top to adhere to the breasts under water, and wherein the swimsuit top can be adhered to the breasts at least one additional time after removal.
16. The swimsuit top of claim 15, wherein the decorative component comprises a stretchable material.
17. The swimsuit top of claim 15, wherein the decorative component comprises a three-dimensional design and comprises a stretchable or non-stretchable material.
18. The swimsuit top of claim 15, wherein the adhesive component further comprises a non-water-based adhesive provided as a ring.
19. The swimsuit top of claim 18, wherein the non-water-based adhesive is removable from the decorative component.
20. The swimsuit top of claim 15, wherein the adhesive component further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, elastomers, and pectin.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 12, 2005
Publication Date: Apr 27, 2006
Inventor: Jewel Dohan (Newport Beach, CA)
Application Number: 11/248,864
International Classification: A41C 3/00 (20060101);