1. A method for producing a printing stencil for applying a printed pattern on a substrate, comprising:
supplying a carrier layer for the printing stencil, the carrier layer comprising metal,
supplying a structure layer for the printing stencil, said layer being located beneath the carrier layer,
making a printed image opening, which extends in the longitudinal direction and corresponds to at least part of the printed pattern, in the structure layer, and
making carrier layer openings in the carrier layer in the region of the printed image opening by means of a laser beam defocussed depending on the width of the carrier layer opening to be made so as to apply a printing medium to the substrate through the carrier layer openings and the printed image opening.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
a laser device is used for making the carrier layer openings, said laser device comprising a focusing apparatus and being designed to emit the laser beam in laser pulses and adjust the laser beam by means of the focusing apparatus so as to defocus the laser beam at the height of the surface of the carrier layer depending on the width of the carrier layer openings to be made.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the laser beam is defocused in such a way that the width of the cross-section of the laser beam at the height of the surface of the carrier layer is approximately 50% to 95% the width of the carrier layer openings to be made by means of one or several laser pulses.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein
a task of making the carrier layer openings comprises making a row of carrier layer openings, extending in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening, and
the position of the laser beam is moved after making a carrier layer opening between two successive laser pulses relative to the carrier layer and in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening to a position of the carrier layer opening to be subsequently made.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein
for making a respective carrier layer opening of the row, the position of the laser beam is positioned at a position of the respective carrier layer opening and the respective carrier layer opening is made by means of one or several laser pulses at this position.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein
the position of the laser beam is not moved substantially while making the respective carrier layer opening by means of one or several laser pulses.
7. The method according to claim 4, wherein
for making a respective carrier layer opening of the row, the position of the laser beam is positioned at a first position of the respective carrier layer opening and the respective carrier layer opening is made by means of a laser pulse by moving the position of the laser beam during one laser pulse from the first position to a second position of the respective carrier layer opening.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein
the position of the laser beam is moved during one laser pulse from the first position to the second position of the respective carrier layer opening in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein
a feed rate in the movement of the position of the laser beam relative to the carrier layer from the first position to the second position of the carrier layer opening to be made andor the pulse duration of the laser pulse of the laser beam are chosen depending on the length of the carrier layer opening to be made.
10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising
adjusting a shape andor size of the cross-section of the defocused laser beam at the height of the surface of the carrier layer by means of a focusing apparatus of the laser device.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein
the width of the cross-section of the defocused laser beam at the height of the surface of the carrier layer is adjusted transversely to the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening depending on the width of the printed image opening.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein
the laser beam is defocused so as to have a substantially circular cross-section at the height of the surface of the carrier layer.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein
the laser beam is defocused to as to have a substantially elliptic cross-section at the height of the surface of the carrier layer.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein
the elliptic main axis of the laser cross-section is aligned transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising
adjusting one or several of the parameters frequency or period of the pulsed laser beam, pulse duration of the laser pulses, duty cycle of the pulsed laser beam, onoff ratio of the pulsed laser beam.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein
a web is formed in the carrier layer when the position of the laser beam is moved relative to the carrier layer between two successive laser pulses between two adjacent carrier layer openings of the row of carrier layer openings.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein
a feed rate in the movement of the position of the laser beam relative to the carrier layer from a position of a carrier layer opening made to a position of a carrier layer opening to be made is chosen depending on a predetermined web width.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein
the feed rate in the movement of the position of the laser beam relative to the carrier layer from a position of a carrier layer opening made to a position of a carrier layer opening to be subsequently made is additionally chosen depending on the width of the carrier layer openings in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein
the feed rate in the movement of the laser beam relative to the carrier layer from the position of a carrier layer opening made to the position of a carrier layer opening to be subsequently made is chosen to be smaller or substantially equal (BL+SB)(T\u2212\u03c4), wherein BL designates the width of the carrier layer openings in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening, SB designates the predetermined web width, T is the period of the pulsed laser beam and \u03c4 is the pulse duration of the laser pulses.
20. The method according to claim 1, wherein
a focusing apparatus of the laser device andor the carrier layer is moved when the position of the laser beam is moved relative to the carrier layer.
21. The method according to claim 4, wherein
the task of making the carrier layer openings comprises making at least one further second row of carrier layer openings, extending in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening and parallel to the first row of carrier layer openings.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein
in each case a carrier layer opening of the first row is overlaid with a carrier layer opening of the at least one further second row in such a way that each carrier layer opening is formed in the produced printing stencil from two or more carrier layer openings of the at least two rows, wherein a web is formed between carrier layer openings adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
23. A printing stencil for applying a printed pattern to a substrate, which is produced according to a method of claim 1, comprising:
a carrier layer for the printing stencil, the carrier layer comprising, metal,
a structure layer for the printing stencil, said layer being located beneath the carrier layer,
wherein the structure layer has an elongate printed image opening, corresponding to at least part of the printed pattern, in the structure layer, and
wherein in the region of the printed image opening the carrier layer comprises one or several rows of carrier layer openings, extending in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
24. The printing stencil according to claim 23, wherein
the carrier layer openings of a row are formed in a substantially circular fashion.
25. The printing stencil according to claim 23, wherein
the carrier layer openings of a row are formed in a substantially elliptic fashion.
26. The printing stencil according to claim 25, wherein
the elliptic main axis of the carrier layer openings of a row are aligned transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
27. The printing stencil according to claim 23, wherein
the carrier layer openings of a row have substantially the shape of an oblong hole.
28. The printing stencil according to claim 23, wherein
the carrier layer has precisely one row of carrier layer openings, extending in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening, in the region of the printed image opening, wherein a respective web is formed between adjacent carrier layer openings, said web being partially molten on the structure layer side and being thus reduced in height compared to the thickness of the carrier layer.
29. The printing stencil according to claim 23, wherein in each case a carrier layer opening of a first row is overlaid with a carrier layer opening of at least one further second row in such a way that each carrier layer opening is formed in the printing stencil from two or more carrier layer openings of the at least two rows, wherein a respective web is formed between carrier layer openings adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the printed image opening.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A hair styling device for providing lift to a mass of undifferentiated hair stands on a scalp region comprising:
a) a bundling means for gathering hair strands into hair bundles;
b) a reservoir, in fluid communication with the bundling means, comprising a styling composition; and
c) a means to hold and further align the hair strands along and beyond the bundling means;
d) an applicator means, in fluid communication with the reservoir, for applying the styling composition to the hair strands.
2. A hair styling device according to claim 1 wherein the hair styling device further comprises a means to set the styling composition.
3. A hair styling device according to claim 3 wherein the means to set the styling composition is selected from the group consisiting of an air source, a heat plate or mixtures thereof.
4. A hair styling device according to claim 3 wherein the means to set the styling composition is an air source.
5. A hair styling device according to claim 3 wherein the means to set the styling composition is a heat plate.
6. A hair styling device according to claim 4 wherein the air source delivers air in a temperature range of about 25\xb0 C. to about 140\xb0 C.
7. A hair styling device according to claim 5 wherein the heat plate delivers heat in a temperature range of from about 100\xb0 C. to about 180 C.
8. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the means to hold and further align the hair strands is located above the bundling means.
9. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the means to hold and further align the hair strands is located below the bundling means.
10. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the means to hold and further align the hair strands provides alignment of the hair bundles substantially orthogonal to a scalp region.
11. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the means to hold the hair strands is displaced from about 0 to about 10 mm from the bundling means.
12. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the bundling means is hollow.
13. A hair styling device according to claim 2 further comprising a driving means to transport the styling composition through the applicator means from the reservoir.
14. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the applicator means is a capillary tube.
15. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the styling composition is delivered to a proximal end of the hair bundles at about 1 mm to about 20 mm distance from the scalp region.
16. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the styling composition will set in a range of about 1 seconds to about 20 seconds.
17. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the bundling means is a tines.
18. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines are about 20 mm in height.
19. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines are from about 85 mm to about 90 mm in length.
20. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines are from about 5 mm to about 10 mm in width.
21. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines are from about 1.0 mm to about 2.5 mm distance apart.
22. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines further comprise a capillary tube having holes wherein a means to set the styling composition is an air source.
23. A hair styling device according to claims 22 wherein the tines provide a path for an air flow from an air source.
24. A hair styling device according to claim 23 wherein the air flow from an air source is from about 0.15 m3min to about 1.2 m3min.
25. A hair styling device according to claim 17 wherein the tines deliver an alternating supply of the styling composition from a tine and the means to set the styling composition from a second tine which is horizontally adjacent to the tine.
26. A hair styling device according to claim 25, wherein the tine may deliver either the styling composition or provides a means to set the styling composition which may comprise an air source or a heat plate.
27. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the hair styling device further comprises a shutter.
28. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the reservoir is contained in the bundling means.
29. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the reservoir is a pre-filled delivery system which is replaceable.
30. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the reservoir can be filled with the styling composition.
31. A hair styling device according to claim 2 wherein the styling composition is comprised of a material that can hold hairs together.
32. A hair styling device according to claim 30 wherein the styling composition is a fixing polymer.
33. A hair styling device according to claim 32 wherein the styling composition further comprises a carrier.
34. A hair styling device according to claim 33 wherein the styling composition further comprises a surfactant.
35. A hair styling device according to claim 34 wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: cationic, anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, amphoteric and mistures thereof.
36. A hair styling device according to claim 33 wherein the styling composition further comprises plasticizer.
37. A hair styling device according to claim 36 wherein the plasticizer is selected from the groupconsisting of diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol hexyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, ethylene glycol hexyl ether, propylene glycol derivatives, propylene glycol phenyl ether, propylene glycol diacetate, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether and tripropylene glycol methyl ether, 1,3-butylene glycol, diethyl, dibutyl and diisopropyl phthalates and adipates, diethyl and dibutyl tartrates, diethyl, dibutyl and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphates, glycerol esters, glyceryl diacetate, glyceryl triacetate and mixtures thereof.
38. A hair styling device according to claims 32 or 33 wherein the fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic fixing polymers and mixtures thereof.
39. A hair styling device according to claim 33 wherein the styling composition is dispensed from the applicator means at from about 1\u03bcl to about 15 \u03bcl per plural outlet in an applicator means.
40. A hair styling device according to claim 39 wherein styling composition is dispensed from the applicator means at from about 2 \u03bcl to about 5 \u03bcl per plural outlet in an applicator means.
41. A hair styling device according to claim 33, wherein at least one fixing polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the styling composition.
42. A hair styling device according to claim 41, wherein at least one fixing polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 5% by weight relative to the total weight of the styling composition.
43. A hair styling device according to claim 35, wherein the anionic fixing polymer is:
a polymer containing carboxylic units derived from unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid monomers of formula (A1)
wherein
n is an integer from about 0 to about 10,
A denotes a methylene group, optionally linked to the carbon atom of the unsaturated group or to the neighboring methylene group when n is greater than 1 via a hetero atom which can be oxygen or sulfur,
R7 denotes a hydrogen atom, or a phenyl or benzyl group,
R8 denotes a hydrogen atom or a C1-C6 lower alkyl or carboxyl group and
R9 denotes a hydrogen atom, a C1-C6 lower alkyl group or a \u2014CH2 \u2014COOH, phenyl or benzyl group; or a polymer comprising units derived from sulphonic acid.
44. A hair styling device according to claim 43, wherein the anionic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of:
A) homo- or copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid or salts thereof, copolymers of acrylic acid and of acrylamide and salts thereof, and sodium salts of polyhydroxycarboxylic acids;
B) copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acids with a monoethylenic monomer optionally grafted onto a polyalkylene glycol and optionally crosslinked; copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acids with a monoethylenic monomer optionally grafted onto a polyalkylene glycol and optionally crosslinked containing an N-alkylated andor hydroxyalkylated acryamide unit in their chain, copolymers of acrylic acid and of C1-C4 alkyl methacrylate;
C) copolymers derived from crotonic acid, optionally grafted and crosslinked;
D) copolymers derived from C4-C8 monounsaturated carboxylic acids or anhydrides; and
E) polyacrylamides containing carboxylate groups,
and mixtures thereof.
45. A hair styling device according to claim 44, wherein the anionic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of:
a) an acrylic acid copolymer;
b) a copolymer derived from crotonic acid;
c) a polymer derived from maleic, fumaric or itaconic acids or hydrides with vinyl esters, vinyl ethers, vinyl halides, phenylvinyl derivatives and acrylic acid and esters thereof;
d) a copolymer of methacrylic acid and of methyl methacrylate;
e) a copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate;
f) vinyl acetatecrotonic acid copolymer; or
g) vinyl acetatecrotonic acidpolyethylene glycol terpolymer.
and mixtures thereof.
46. A hair styling device according to claim 45, wherein the anionic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of a vinyl acetatevinyl tert-buylbenzoatecrotonic acid terpolymer or a crotonic acidvinyl acetatevinyl neododecanate terpolymer and mixtures thereof.
47. A hair styling device according to claim 35 wherein the fixing polymer is an amphoteric fixing polymer selected from the group consisting of polymers containing units A and B randomly distributed in a polymer chanin, where A is a unit derived from a monomer comprising at least one basic nitrogen and B is a unit derived from an acidic monomer containing one or more carboxylic or sulphonic groups, or A and B can comprise groups derived from zwitterionic monomers of carboxybetaines or of sulphobetaines.
48. A hair styling device according to claim 47, wherein the amphoteric fixing polymer is a polymer containing units derived from:
a) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamides or methacrylamides substituted on the nitrogen with an alkyl radical,
b) at least one acidic comonomer containing one or more reactive carboxylic groups, and
c) at least one basic comonomer.
49. A hair styling device according to claim 48 wherein the amphoteric fixing polymer comprises at least one basic comonomer is selected from the group consisting of esters containing primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary amine substituents of acrylic and methacrylicacids and the product of quaternization of dimethylamenoethyl methacrylate with dimethyl or diethyl sulphate.
50. A hair styling device according to claim 49, wherein the amphoteric: fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of an octylacrylamideacrylatesbutylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer or a copolymer of methyl methacrylatemethyl dimethylcarboxymethylammonioethylmethacrylate and mixtures thereof.
51. A hair styling device according to claim 35, wherein the nonionic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate homopolymers; copolymers of vinyl acetate and of acrylic ester; copolymers of vinyl acetate and of maleic ester; polyvinyl chloride homopolymers; copolymers of polyethylene and of maleic anhydride; polyurethanes; polyamides; homopolymers of polyvinyl pyrridoline (PVP); copolymers of PVP and of vinyl acetate; hydroxyalkylcellulose and mixtures thereof.
52. A hair styling device according to claim 35 wherein a cationic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymers containing primary, secondary, tertiary andor quaternary amine groups forming part of the polymer chain or directly connected thereto, and mixtures thereof and further wherein the cationic fixing polymer comprises having a weight-average molecular weight of from 500 to about 5,000,000.
53. A hair styling device according to claim 52 wherein the cationic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of:
1) homopolymers or copolymers derived from acrylic or methacrylic esters or amides and containing at least one of the following units:
wherein:
R3 denotes a hydrogen atom or a CH3 radical;
A is a linear or branched alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
R4, R5 and R6, which are identical or different, represent an alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or a benzyl radical;
R1 and R2, which are identical or different, represent hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
X denotes a methosulphate anion or a halide such as chloride or bromide;
Wherein the copolymers of (1) further contain one or more monomer units which may be selected from the group consisting of acrylamides, methacrylamides, diacetone acrylamides, acrylamides and methacrylamides substituted on the nitrogen with C1-C6 lower alkyls, acrylic or methacrylic acids or esters thereof, vinyllactams and vinyl esters.
(2) quaternized polysaccharides.
(3) quaternized copolymers of vinylpyrrolidonedialkylaminoalkyl acrylate or methacrylate, quaternized copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidonedialkylarninoalkyl acrylamide or methacrylamide and of quaternized copolymer of vinylimidazole;
(4) chitosans or salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.
54. A hair styling device according to claim 53, wherein the cationic fixing polymer is selected from the group consisting of: a copolymer of acrylamide and of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate quaternized with dimethyl sulphate; a copolymer of acrylamide and of methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride; a copolymer of acrylamide and of methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium methosulphate; a quaternized or non-quaternized vinylpyrrolidonedialkylaminoalkyl acrylate or methacrylate copolymer; a dimethylaminoethyl methacrylatevinylcaprolactamvinylpyrrolidone terpolymer; or a quaternized vinylpyrrolidonedimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide copolymer and mixtures thereof.
55. A hair styling device according to claim 14 wherein the capillary tube further comprises ports comprised of a flexible material.
56. A hair styling device according to claim 55 wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of rubber, neoprene rubber, polyolefins and mixtures thereof.
57. A composition of matter for use in a hair care operation, comprising a fixing polymer and a carrier, the composition being releasably held within a reservoir, the reservoir comprising fluid-impermeable walls, the walls having an attachment means associated therewith for removably attaching the reservoir to a hair styling device, the reservoir having a means for providing the composition onto the hair wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the hair styling device according to claim 2.
58. A composition of matter for use in a hair care operation according to claim 57 wherein the reservoir is re-fillable.
59. A composition of matter for use in a hair care operation according to claim 58 wherein the reservoir is non-refillable.