Patent Application
20110303344
This disclosure relates generally to a temporary concealing or covering device, and particularly, but not by way of limitation, to devices and methods for temporarily concealing or covering tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other marks on a user's skin.
Tattoos have been used in various cultural and social circles for many years. A tattoo is typically applied to an individual's skin with tattoo needles, which ink a desired design onto the skin. Now tattoo applications have become a common trend among young adults for self expression and an avenue for individuality.
Tattoos are fun and personally significant to the individual up until they interfere with other aspects of the individual's life, for example, an executive's “corporate” image, a dress code for an upscale restaurant or resort, or a special day for a bride.
Therefore, there is a need for a device to be applied to the individual's skin to temporarily conceal and disguise the tattoos or other marks.
Temporary tattoo removal devices for temporarily covering and concealing tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other marks and methods for making the same are disclosed herein. The temporary tattoo removal device includes an opaque tattoo removal device or a releasable coating layer that is configured to adhere to a user's skin to cover and conceal tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other marks. The color of the opaque tattoo removal device or releasable coating layer matches the skin tone of the user's such that the tattoo removal device or releasable coating layer is nearly invisible when applied.
A method for removing a tattoo includes comparing a desired skin tone with a plurality of colors available for a tattoo removal device; selecting a matching color from the plurality of colors available for the tattoo removal device; selecting a style of the tattoo removal device based on a shape of the tattoo to be covered; determining a dimension of the tattoo removal device based on a size of the tattoo to be covered; obtaining the tattoo removal device with the selected color, style and dimension, the tattoo removal device being at least partially opaque; removing a protective cover sheet to expose a base portion including a backing layer and an adhesive layer; overlaying the tattoo with the tattoo removal device to conceal the tattoo, with the adhesive layer positioned to contact user's skin, such that the base portion is substantially indistinguishable from the user's skin; and applying pressure on the base portion toward the user's skin at a location corresponding to the adhesive layer such that the base portion adheres to the user's skin.
A tattoo removal device includes a base portion including an opaque backing layer, the backing layer having a first major surface and a second major surface, the base portion further including an adhesive layer attached to the first major surface of the backing layer; and a protective coversheet, wherein the base portion is substantially indistinguishable from a desired skin tone.
A tattoo removal device kit includes a plurality of tattoo removal devices, each including a base portion including an opaque backing layer, the backing layer having a first major surface and a second major surface, the base portion further including an adhesive layer attached to the first major surface of the backing layer; and a protective coversheet, wherein the base portion is substantially indistinguishable from a desired skin tone. The tattoo removal device kit further includes instructions for use of the tattoo removal devices; and a packaging for containing the plurality of tattoo removal devices and the protective cover sheet, wherein styles of the tattoo removal devices include at least one selected from the group consisting of a circular patch, an elliptical patch, a square patch, a rectangular patch, a lower back patch, an irregularly-shaped patch and a tape.
This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive description of the claimed invention. Further details about the present subject matter are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Other aspects of the subject matter will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof, each of which are not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the claimed invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
The drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in this application.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the inventive concepts may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that the embodiments may be combined or used separately, or that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural and procedural changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts. The following detailed description provides examples, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims to be added and their equivalents.
The terms “above,” “on,” “under,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” “horizontal,” and “vertical” and the like used herein are in reference to the relative positions of the temporary tattoo removal device and its constituent parts, in use when oriented as in
Temporary tattoo removal devices for temporarily covering and concealing tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other marks and methods for making the same are disclosed herein. The temporary tattoo removal device includes an opaque tattoo removal device or a releasable coating layer that is configured to adhere to a user's skin to cover and conceal tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other marks. The color of the opaque tattoo removal device or releasable coating layer matches the skin tone of the user's such that the tattoo removal device or releasable coating layer is nearly invisible when applied. For sake of convenience, the tattoos, skin lesions, scars or other skin marks are collectively referred to as skin marks in the description hereunder.
With respect to
The base portion 12 is very thin, having a thickness in the range of 10-100 μm and preferably in the range of 20-40 μm. In one embodiment, the base portion 12 is waterproof or water resistant such that it does not wear off in water. When in use, the base portion 12 remains on the skin for covering the skin marks. As shown in
The backing layer 16 is made of thin and flexible sheet or film material, e.g., cloth or plastic. In one embodiment, the backing layer 16 is at least partially opaque, e.g., coated with a non-toxic ink or pigment composition on a top surface 28 of the backing layer. For example, the backing layer 16 may include one or more pigments having a melanin likeness in appearance so as to substantially match the appearance of human skin. The pigment in layer 16 may be blended into the molten polymer prior to extrusion into a thin film. It is to be understood that various inks or pigments that are certified by the FDA for use in drugs and cosmetics can be used for the backing layer 16. The ink or pigment may also be included in the backing layer 16 by various methods, such as mixing in the material of the backing layer before extrusion of the backing layer, dipping, spraying, brushing, rolling and the like.
In one embodiment, the entire backing layer 16 is opaque. In an alternative embodiment, only a part of the backing layer 16 is opaque and the rest of the backing layer 16 can be clear, with or without color.
In one embodiment, the backing layer 16 can be made of a heat-fusible, nonwoven fabric material having moisture vapor permeability. The nonwoven fabric can be formed of interlaced staple or continuous textile fiber having an average length between 1 and 10 cm. The fibers are unified into a tissue by a binding agent that tends to bend the fibers at their cross-over points. Polymeric binders such as latex, particularly rubbery latex such as acrylates and urethanes, are preferred. In an alternative embodiment, the backing layer 16 can be made of woven fabric.
In one embodiment, the backing layer 16 is made of moisture permeable polyether polyurethane. The moisture permeable polyether polyurethane can further include pigment to achieve opacity and desired coloring. As such, a process for making the backing layer 16 can include pigment in the polyether polyurethane layer during extrusion. In one embodiment, a suitable pigment level is in a range between 10-20% by weight of the backing layer.
In one embodiment, the backing layer material is describable as a thin, pliable, inextensible, resilient, water-resistant tissue fabric. It is preferable that the backing layer 16 to be moisture vapor permeable at a rate of at least 1600 grams per 100 square inches of surface area per day.
With reference to
In another embodiment, the backing layer 16 includes a polymer that is extruded into a thin, pliable sheet. Examples of suitable materials for the backing layer 16 in this embodiment are elastomeric polyesters, polyurethane, or polyethylene.
The backing layer 16 may come in a plurality of skin tones to provide a good match with a user's skin. The plurality of colors are chosen to most closely approximate, or blend in with, the anticipated skin tones of the potential users. In one embodiment, the backing layer 16 comes in six skin tones, which match most ethnic skin tones, from very light to very dark. It is to be understood that, in one embodiment, one backing layer can include more than one color, e.g., multiple skin tones, depending on design choices. It is also to be understood that the backing layer 16 can be made entirely opaque, or alternatively, merely partially opaque with a portion being clear, with or without color.
With reference to
The adhesive used for the adhesive layer 18 is not particularly limited if a skin is little irritated and pressure-sensitive adhesion to the skin is provided. The adhesive should exhibit sufficient adhesion, or bonding strength, to prevent peeling of the tattoo removal device from the skin prematurely, but is not so tenacious as to damage or irritate the skin during removal, especially from sensitive skin, or to leave adhesive residue on the skin, thus exhibiting acceptable shear properties. In addition, the adhesive should exhibit sufficient adhesion to the backing layer 16 to prevent unwrapping of the adhesive during wear. Examples of the adhesive include a rubbery adhesive, an acrylic adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, a silicone adhesive and a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer adhesive. In one embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 is a releasable adhesive layer.
In one embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 includes a pressure sensitive adhesive, for example, polyvinyl ethyl. In one embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 is added to the backing layer 16 at a level between 25 g/m2 and 75 g/m2.
Optionally, the base portion 12 may further include an opaque blocking layer 20 that underlies a central portion of the backing layer 16 for further concealing and blocking the skin marks, as shown in
With reference to
The tattoo removal device 10 is cut into different predetermined shapes which vary in style and dimension, depending upon the intended area of use upon the body, as well as upon the size of the skin marks. In one embodiment, the tattoo removal device is cut into a specific shape designed to cover specific skin marks, for example, specific, more popular tattoos.
The tattoo removal device is utilized by first selecting a tattoo removal device of appropriate skin tone, style and dimension. When selecting the skin tone, the purchaser can compare his/her skin tone, or a desired skin tone, to the plurality of skin colors of the tattoo removal device 10 and select the matching color. Before the tattoo removal device is applied to the skin, the protective cover sheet 14 is removed from the tattoo removal device 10 to expose the adhesive. When the tattoo removal device 10 is in a tape form, the top surface 28 of the tattoo removal device can be used as the protective sheet for the portion of the tape wrapping thereon. See Table below including examples of styles, dimensions, packaging and skin tones of the tattoo removal device 10.
After the exposed adhesive surface of the base portion 12 is applied to the skin at a predetermined location, pressure is applied to promote adhesion between the base portion 12 and the skin. Because the base portion 10 is thin, and because its color matches the user's skin tone, it is nearly invisible when applied. The base portion 12 may be made less detectable by concealing the base portion 12 with cosmetic preparations, if desired.
With reference to
The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61353757 | Jun 2010 | US |
