TRAY FOR HOLDING EYELASH EXTENSIONS AND PROCESSES FOR APPLYING EYELASH EXTENSIONS
A support for holding individual eyelash extensions includes a tray that is configured to be positioned on the back of an individual's hand and/or wrist, as well as an attachment member associated with the tray to secure the tray in place on the back of the individual's hand and/or wrist. The tray includes a surface for holding individual eyelash extensions. More specifically, the surface may be configured to receive a strip that carries individual eyelash extensions and to cause the individual eyelash extensions to fan out in a manner that makes them easy to individually grasp. Methods for applying eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes are also disclosed.
A claim for the benefit of priority to the Jan. 23, 2015, filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/107,286, titled HAND TRAY APPARATUS FOR EYELASH EXTENSIONS AND PROCESSES FOR APPLYING EYELASH EXTENSIONS (“the '286 Provisional Application”), is hereby made pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The entire disclosure of the '286 Provisional Application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure relates generally to apparatuses that are used to hold eyelash extensions in place as a cosmetician applies the eyelash extensions. More specifically, this disclosure relates to apparatuses that are configured to be held on a cosmetician's hand or wrist and, in turn, hold the eyelash extensions at a location and in an orientation that makes the eyelash extensions readily accessible to the cosmetician as she applies them to an individual's existing eyelashes.
BACKGROUND OF RELATED ARTArtificial eyelashes are used to provide an individual with the appearance of having long, thick, beautiful eyelashes. They may be used in lieu of eye make-up, such as mascara. There are two main types of artificial eyelashes—false lashes and individual eyelash extensions.
False eyelashes include a plurality of lashes that are permanently affixed to a single strip for one application, and are typically made to adhere to an individual's eyelid, but are only supposed to remain in place on the individual's eyelid for a day or two.
Individual eyelash extensions are configured to be independently secured to an individual's existing eyelashes. There are several different colors, sizes (e.g., thicknesses, etc.) and lengths of individual eyelash extensions, and different types of individual eyelash extensions may be used in combination. Typically, a cosmetician will grasp a single eyelash extension with a pair of tweezers and dip a base end of the eyelash extension in an adhesive material, or glue. The adhesive material is typically non-toxic, strong and flexible, and made just for eyelash extensions. With the glue in place on the base end of the individual eyelash extension, it may be applied to one of the individual's natural eyelashes, where it may remain for three or four weeks or more.
Individual eyelash extensions may be packaged loosely in a small container, as shown in
Alternatively, individual eyelash extensions may be arranged in a neatly organized row on a strip, to which base ends of the individual eyelash extensions are temporarily and removably secured, as shown in
As shown in
As disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 8,701,685 to Chipman (“the '685 patent”), it is easier to grasp an individual eyelash extension from a strip if the strip is placed across a surface having a convex curvature in an orientation that enables outer ends, or distal ends, of the individual eyelashes held by the strip to separate from one another, or to fan out, as shown in
In a specific implementation of the improvements disclosed by the '685 patent, as depicted by
It takes a substantial amount of concentration for a cosmetician to isolate a person's natural lash from adjacent lashes. Substantial amounts of concentration and effort are also needed for the cosmetician to hold that individual natural lash in isolation. While holding the isolated natural lash with one hand, it is especially difficult for the cosmetician to abandon her field of focus to grasp one or more individual eyelash extensions with her other hand. While the support disclosed by the '685 patent makes individual eyelash extensions readily accessible relative to one another, it is configured to rest upon a stable surface, such as a table or a tray, which can be positioned close to the customer's eyes. Nevertheless, the support of the '685 patent is still spaced some distance from the customer's eyes, requiring the cosmetician to repeatedly move her hand back and forth between the support and the customer's eyes—typically, a cosmetician will apply about one hundred individual eyelash extensions in each session. Even where the support is placed upon a stable surface located close to a customer's eyes, repeated movement between the support and the person's eyelashes can distract the cosmetician, disrupting her focus and concentration each time she has to reach for another individual eyelash extension. Furthermore, since the cosmetician's movements are usually repeated so many times, the process of moving her hand may consume a significant amount of time during the session. The repetitious movement may also become tiresome and even fatiguing to the cosmetician.
In an attempt to overcome these problems, some cosmeticians have adhered strips that carry pluralities of individual eyelash extensions to the backs of their hands, minimizing the distance between the individual eyelash extensions and the customers' eyes. This approach is, however, can be unsanitary and often results in dropped strips that carry individual eyelash extensions, as the adhesive material on the strips does not adhere as well to an individual's hand as it does to a more solid surface (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.).
Furthermore, the placement of adhesive material on the cosmetician's hand can be a challenge. The adhesive cannot be placed directly on her hand, nor should the cosmetician be required to steadily hold onto a receptacle for the adhesive material over prolonged periods of time (e.g., the amount of time it typically takes a cosmetician to apply a set of individual eyelash extensions to a customer's existing eyelashes, etc.) so that the liquid adhesive material will not spill out of the receptacle.
One effort to position adhesive material on a cosmetician's hand without requiring her to hold onto a receptacle is the so-called “glue ring,” an embodiment of which is shown in
Another ring, such as that depicted by
An apparatus that supports a plurality of individual eyelash extensions and positions the plurality of individual eyelash extensions at a location where they may be readily accessed as a cosmetician applies them to a person's natural eyelashes is disclosed, as are methods for applying individual eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes. Such a support apparatus may be configured to be carried upon the back of an individual's hand and/or wrist or on her thumb. As such, a support according to this disclosure may be referred to as both “portable” and “hand-held.” A support according to this disclosure may also be configured to preserve the dexterity of the individual's hand and fingers for use in applying individual eyelash extensions while she carries the support on or adjacent to that hand.
An apparatus that supports a plurality of individual eyelash extensions includes a tray and an attachment member. The tray is configured to be positioned on the back of an individual's hand and/or wrist (e.g., a cosmetician's hand and/or wrist, etc.), while the attachment member is configured to secure the tray in place on the back of the individual's hand and/or wrist. Such an apparatus may enable the individual to readily access eyelash extensions at a location that is close to the natural eyelashes to which the individual eyelash extensions are to be applied.
The tray includes a surface that is configured to hold the plurality of individual eyelash extensions. The surface of the tray may be configured to cause individual eyelash extensions with base ends that are removably secured to a strip to fan out in such a way that outer ends of the eyelash extensions, which are opposite from the base ends of the individual eyelash extensions, to be spaced farther apart from one another than their corresponding base ends. In some embodiments, the surface comprises a convex surface or a convexly curved surface. Such a surface may be elongated and even have a partially cylindrical configuration (i.e., a segment of a solid consisting of two parallel planes bounded by identical closed curves, such as circles, oval, ellipses, etc., that are interconnected at every point by a set of parallel lines, which may be oriented perpendicular or oblique to the planes). In embodiments where the plurality of individual eyelash extensions are carried by a strip, to which base ends of the individual eyelash extensions are secured and from which the base ends of the individual eyelash extensions may be removed, the strip may be temporarily secured (e.g., by way of a pressure-sensitive adhesive material, etc.) to the surface. Positioning of the strip on the surface may cause the individual eyelash extensions that are carried by the strip to fan out, with outer ends of the individual eyelash extensions being spaced farther apart from one another than their corresponding base ends. Such an arrangement may make it easier for an individual (e.g., a cosmetician, etc.) to grasp an individual eyelash extension from a group of eyelash extensions that are arranged in close proximity to one another.
The tray may be configured in such a way that the surface is conveniently oriented when the tray is positioned on the back of an individual's hand and/or wrist. For example, the surface may be oriented at an angle that extends toward the individual's other hand, making it easier for the individual to use her other hand to grasp individual eyelash extensions from the surface of the tray. The surface of the tray may be configured to rotate relative to a base of the tray so the individual may position the surface and the eyelash extensions carried thereby in desired orientations.
In addition to the surface, which carries eyelash extensions, the tray may also be configured to hold an adhesive material at a location that may be easily and readily accessed by the individual's other hand, and which is close to the natural eyelashes to which the individual eyelash extensions are to be applied. As a non-limiting example, the tray may include a receptacle which is configured to place adhesive material close to (e.g., directly adjacent to, etc.) the individual eyelash extensions and, depending upon the location of the tray, close to the natural eyelashes to which the individual eyelash extensions are to be applied. In some embodiments, the tray may be configured to receive a removable, replaceable receptacle that holds adhesive material.
The attachment member of the support may comprise a strap that is configured to be positioned around part or all of an individual's hand and/or wrist. The strap may be configured to hold the tray securely in place without diminishing the individual's dexterity. In some embodiments, a length of the strap may be adjustable.
The support may also include a cushioning element on a bottom surface of the tray, the cushioning element configured to be placed against the back of the individual's hand and/or wrist and to at least partially conform to a contour of the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist. As a surface of the cushioning element that is positioned against the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist may conform to the shape of the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist, and it may reduce or eliminate any spacing between the support and the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist, it may increase the stability with which the support is secured the back of the individual's hand and/or wrist.
In another aspect, a system for applying eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes is disclosed. Such a system includes a support according to this disclosure, as well as one or more strips that carry individual eyelash extensions. In embodiments where the system includes a plurality of strips, each strip may carry the same type (e.g., style, length, thickness, color, etc.) of individual eyelash extensions, or the system may include strips that carry different types of individual eyelash extensions from one another.
According to another aspect, this disclosure includes methods for attaching individual eyelash extensions to the natural eyelashes of a person. Such a method includes positioning a portable tray on the back of a hand and/or a wrist of an individual (e.g., a cosmetician, etc.) and placing a plurality of individual eyelash extensions on a surface of the tray so outer ends of adjacent individual eyelash extensions are spaced apart from one another. With the individual eyelash extensions in place on the tray, the individual may position the tray at a location that will be convenient and comfortable for her as she applies the individual eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes. Without limitation, such a position may be adjacent to or over the person's head, directly adjacent to the person's natural eyelashes.
With the tray in position and the outer ends of the individual eyelash extensions fanned out or otherwise spaced apart from one another, the individual who applies one or more individual eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelash may isolate the natural eyelash from adjacent eyelashes with the hand that carries, or that is associated with the wrist that carries, the tray. The individual may also grasp one or more of the individual eyelash extensions, apply glue to the base end of each individual eyelash extension and apply the individual eyelash extension(s) to the natural eyelash.
Other aspects, as well as features and advantages of various aspects, of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the ensuing disclosure, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
In the drawings:
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed apparatuses, systems and methods. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.
Reference in the specification to “an example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least that one example, but not necessarily in other examples.
The terms “cosmetician,” “stylist” and “technician” are interchangeable and refer to an individual who applies eyelash extensions to the natural eyelashes of another person. The person to whom the individual eyelash extensions are applied may also be referred to herein as a “client” or as a “customer.”
The terms “support” and “platform” are interchangeable and refer to a palette used to provide materials that are used to apply eyelash extensions to a cosmetician. The term “hand tray” refers to a tray for attachment to a hand and/or wrist of an individual, such as a cosmetician.
The following embodiments provide a new and useful platform for organizing eyelash extension work materials and for providing access to those work materials in close proximity to a client, while maintaining the adhesive at a safe distance from the client's eyes.
A support according to this disclosure is configured to minimize a distance between a working platform and a person's natural eyelashes, which may substantially reduce the amount of time needed to apply about one hundred (100) individual eyelash extensions per session. Minimization of the distance between the support and the natural eyelashes of the person receiving the individual eyelash extensions may also improve stability of the support and the individual eyelash extensions thereon, enable an individual (e.g., a cosmetician, etc.) who applies the individual eyelash extensions to reduce the amount of motion required to properly secure the individual eyelash extensions in place, reduce the likelihood that the individual eyelash extensions and/or adhesive material will be dropped (which may also avoid accidents and injury) and/or better enable the individual to concentrate on the person who is receiving the individual eyelash extensions.
With reference to
As shown in
As illustrated by
Such a configuration may, as shown in
Turning now to
In some embodiments, the support 100 may include a disposable liner (not shown) that covers the surface 110 and/or other surfaces of the support 100 to facilitate clean up after an eyelash extension procedure is complete.
Looking at
As illustrated, the tray 102 includes a central recess 106, which is located above the surface 110 and any strips 212 that have been secured to the surface 110, as well as a side recess 106s, which is located adjacent to a side of the surface 110.
As illustrated by the curved arrows in each of
In another option, with continued reference to
As yet another option,
Various embodiments of a support 100, 100′ according to this disclosure may enable an individual to easily handle strips of individual eyelash extensions 216 and adhesive material during the process of attaching the individual eyelash extensions 216, either individually or in a volume lashing process. These embodiments may provide ready and easy access to multiple types (e.g., lengths, thicknesses, styles, colors, etc.) of individual eyelash extensions 216 organized on a surface 110, 110′.
The manner in which the surface 110, 110′ may fan individual eyelash extensions 216 may be even more helpful on a support 100, 100′ that is portable since access to each individual eyelash extension 216 is provided in close proximity with a natural eyelash of a person. Thus, an individual (e.g., a cosmetician, etc.) may, in one continuous action, access one or more individual eyelash extensions 216, add adhesive to a base end 217 of each individual eyelash extension 216 and apply the base end(s) 217 of the individual eyelash extension(s) 217 to the person's natural eyelash in one continuous action, without moving away from the person's natural eyelash or losing focus on the person's eye.
With reference now to
An adjustable strap 220 enables the cosmetician to adjust the tightness of the portable support 200 on her hand or wrist and to reposition the portable support 200 so that the curved surface 210 may be disposed at different angles and on a different parts of the hand or wrist of the technician, according to the needs of the cosmetician. The portable support 200 may be positioned at various angles using the attachment strap 220. Alternatively, in embodiments where the curved surface 210 rotates relative to a base of the portable support 200, the cosmetician may rotate the curved surface 210 to a desired orientation.
As shown in
During the process of applying each individual eyelash extension 216, as shown in
The following description assumes that the cosmetician is left-handed. If the cosmetician is right-handed, the discussion should be changed accordingly. Looking at
Referring to
Looking at
The supports and related processes that have been disclosed have several advantages over existing apparatuses, systems and methods for applying individual eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes. The close proximity between the support and the person's natural eyelashes enables a cosmetician to easily handle the individual eyelash extensions and adhesive material during the process of attaching the individual eyelash extensions, while quickly completing the process of applying individual eyelash extensions to a person's natural eyelashes. A surface of the support may also have a shape that spreads the outer ends of the individual eyelash extensions apart from one another for easy individual access and for a fanned arrangement, enabling a stylist to quickly and easily grasp one individual eyelash extension or more individual eyelash extensions in a pre-fanned arrangement during the application procedure. Alone or together, these features may enable an individual to achieve and maintain the substantial amounts of concentration and effort that are required for the individual to isolate a person's natural eyelash from adjacent eyelashes with one hand, to hold that individual natural eyelash in isolation and to simultaneously grasp one or more individual eyelash extensions with her other hand. More specifically, since a support according to this disclosure may be placed in close proximity to a person's natural eyelashes, the individual may simultaneously focus on both the natural eyelashes and the individual eyelash extensions. There is no need for the individual to abandon one field of focus for the other.
A support according to this disclosure may also provide an individual with ready access to multiple lengths, thicknesses and colors of individual eyelash extensions, all of which may be organized on the same surface.
Although the preceding disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the ensuing claims. Other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scopes of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope of each claim is, therefore, indicated and limited only by its plain language and the full scope of available legal equivalents to its elements.
Claims
1. A portable support for a strip carrying a plurality of individual eyelash extensions, comprising:
- a tray with a surface for receiving a strip carrying a plurality of individual eyelash extensions, the tray configured to be carried on a back of a hand and/or a back of a wrist of a user and to cause the plurality of individual eyelash extensions to fan out; and
- an attachment member associated with the tray in a manner that enables the tray to be secured in place on the back of the hand and/or on the back of the wrist.
2. The portable support of claim 1, wherein the surface of the tray has a shape that positions a center of the strip at a different position than ends of the strip.
3. The portable support of claim 2, wherein the shape of the surface causes outer ends of individual eyelash extensions of the plurality of eyelash extensions to spread farther apart from one another than base ends of the individual eyelash extensions that are secured to the strip.
4. The portable support of claim 2, wherein the surface of the tray comprises a partially cylindrical surface.
5. The portable support of claim 1, wherein the surface of the tray is carried by a base of the tray and rotates relative to the base of the tray and relative to a position where the attachment member is secured to the tray.
6. The portable support of claim 1, wherein the surface of the tray is carried by a base of the tray and is removable from the base of the tray and replaceable upon the base of the tray.
7. The portable support of claim 1, further comprising:
- a receptacle for adhesive material configured to removably couple with the tray.
8. The portable support of claim 7, wherein the removable receptacle is configured to be received by the tray at a location adjacent to the surface for receiving the strip carrying the plurality of individual eyelash extensions.
9. The portable support of claim 1, further comprising:
- a cushioning element on a bottom surface of the tray, the cushioning element configured to be placed against and to at least partially conform to a contour of the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist.
10. The portable support claim 1, wherein the attachment member is configured to enable adjustment of a position and/or an orientation of the tray relative to the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist.
11. The portable support of claim 10, wherein the attachment member comprises a flexible, length-adjustable strap.
12. A system for applying eyelash extensions, comprising:
- a strip carrying a plurality of individual eyelash extensions, a base end of each individual eyelash extension of the plurality of individual eyelash extensions being releasably secured to the strip, an outer end of each individual eyelash extension extending away from the strip;
- a tray with a surface for receiving the strip, the tray configured to be carried on a back of a hand and/or a back of a wrist of a user and configured to cause outer ends of individual eyelash extensions of the plurality of eyelash extensions to spread farther apart from one another than base ends of the individual eyelash extensions that are secured to the strip; and
- an attachment member associated with the tray in a manner that enables the tray to be secured in place on the back of the hand and/or on the back of the wrist.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the surface of the tray has a shape that positions a center of the strip at a different position than ends of the strip.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the surface of the tray has a convex curvature.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the surface of the tray comprises a -partially cylindrical surface.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the tray is configured to be oriented at an angle relative to a length of the hand and/or wrist.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the surface of the tray is carried by base of the tray and rotates relative to the base of the tray and relative to a position where the attachment member is secured to the tray.
18. The system of claim 12, wherein the surface of the tray is configured to be removed from a base of the tray and to be replaced upon the base of the tray.
19. The system of claim 18, comprising a plurality of surfaces.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the surfaces of the plurality of surfaces is preloaded with a plurality of strips, each strip of the plurality of strips carrying a plurality of individual eyelash extensions.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of surfaces includes surfaces of a plurality of different configurations.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of different configurations includes a plurality of shapes, a plurality of widths and/or a plurality of lengths.
23. The system of claim 12, wherein the attachment member is adjustable to enable the tray to be positioned in a plurality of orientations relative to the hand and/or the wrist.
24. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
- a receptacle for adhesive material configured to removably couple with the tray.
25. The system of claim 24, comprising a plurality of receptacles pre-loaded with adhesive material.
26. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
- a cushioning element on a bottom surface of the tray, the cushioning element configured to be placed against and to at least partially conform to a contour of the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist.
27. A method for attaching eyelash extensions to eyelashes of a person, comprising:
- positioning a tray on a back of a hand and/or a back of a wrist of a cosmetician with the eyelash extensions extending away from a surface of the tray with outer ends of adjacent eyelash extensions spaced a greater distance apart from one another than base ends of the adjacent eyelash extensions; and
- grasping at least one eyelash extension;
- removing the at least one eyelash extension from the strip; and
- attaching the at least one eyelash extension to a natural eyelash of the person.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
- securing at least one strip carrying the eyelash extensions to the surface of the tray, the base end of each eyelash extension of the eyelash extensions being removably secured to the at least one strip.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein securing the at least one strip carrying the eyelash extensions to the surface of the tray comprises securing the at least one strip to a convexly curved surface of the tray such that the outer ends of the adjacent eyelash extensions are spread apart farther than the base ends of the adjacent eyelash extensions.
30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
- dipping the base end of the at least one eyelash extension in an adhesive material.
31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
- isolating the natural eyelash of the person with one hand,
- wherein attaching the at least one eyelash extension to the natural eyelash occurs with another hand.
32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
- orienting the surface and the eyelash extensions on the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein orienting comprises adjusting a length and/or an orientation of an attachment element that secures the tray to hand and/or the wrist.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein orienting comprises rotating the surface of the tray relative to a base of the tray after positioning the tray on the back of the hand and/or the back of the wrist.
35. The method of claim 27, wherein positioning the tray comprises placing the tray at a location that enables the cosmetician to simultaneously focus on the at least one eyelash extension and the natural eyelash while grasping, removing and attaching the at least one eyelash extension.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 10, 2015
Publication Date: Aug 4, 2016
Inventors: Zachary Chipman (Pleasant Grove, UT), Haley Chipman (Pleasant Grove, UT)
Application Number: 14/937,655