US3575165A

US3575165A - Facelift device

Info

Publication number: US3575165A
Application number: US877896A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leah Heale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-11-19
Filing date: 1969-11-19
Publication date: 1971-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-04-20
Also published as: GB1322215A; FR2071826A5; AU1823970A; DE2040582A1; ES382840A1; CA918526A

Abstract

A facelift device adapted to be worn on the head in a manner that it may be covered by a wig, the facelift device including an anchor portion adapted to be engaged by the ends of a multiplicity of tension members, the other ends of which are selectively secured to the wearer''s skin closely adjacent the hairline and in a position to tension the skin to eliminate lines and wrinkles therefrom.

Description

atet

Inventor Leah l-leale 5284 l loyet Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95129 Appl. No. 877,896

Filed Nov. 19, 1969 Patented Apr. 20, 11971 FACELlFl" DEVICE 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[1.5. CI l28/76B, l 3 2/54 llnt. Cl A6lt' 5/08 Field of Search 128/76, 68,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,658 8/1904 Dongille l32/46X 2,030,603 2/1936 McLaughlin 128/76 2,528,994 11/1950 Beguhn l32/54UX Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-John J. Leavitt ABSTRACT: A facelift device adapted to be worn on the head in a manner that it may be covered by a wig, the facelift device including an anchor portion adapted to be engaged by the ends of a multiplicity of tension members, the other ends of which are selectively secured to the wearers skin closely adjacent the hairline and in a position to tension the skin to eliminate lines and wrinkles therefrom.

PATENTED AFRZO I97! INVENTOR. LEAH HEALE.

I Iv 77 WACEILIIFT navrcn BACKGROUND OF INVENTION extend downwardly on opposite sides of the mouth. Wherever I such lines appear, they change the appearance of the person, and inmost cases the person whose face is so lined will generally look older than his years. It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a facelift device which may be applied in a manner to selectively eliminate or minimize the prominence of whatever lines appear on the face.

It has been known for years that lines may be removed from the face through surgical procedures, and many people, particularly actors and actresses, have availed themselves of this service. Understandably, surgical procedures are expensive and inconvenient, and not always successful. Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a facelift device which may be applied professionally by a person trained to apply the facelift device, or which may be applied by the person who wants to wear it.

One of the disadvantages of facelifting through a surgical procedure is that after the procedure has been completed, lines again begin to form in the face and there is no way in which the formation of such lines may be prevented. Accordingly, it is a still further object of the invention to provide a facelift device which is selectively adjustable to impose more or less tension on facial tissues, in directions selected to do the most good or provide whatever effect is desired by the wearer. For instance, where a person's eyes are shaped so that the outer corners dip downwardly, it is possible with the facelift device of the invention to apply tension in a manner to reverse the direction in which the outer corners of the eyes extend.

There are times of course when a person need not and does not want to have his or her facial tissue tensioned so as to eliminate lines and wrinkles therefrom. Accordingly, it is a still further object of the invention to provide a facelift device which may be applied and removed at the whim of the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION In terms of broad inclusion, the facelift device of the invention is adapted to be worn over a person's natural hair and beneath a wig disposed on the head of the wearer in a manner to cover all indications that a facelift device is being worn. The facelift device comprises an anchor member conformed to be secured generally centrally on the crown of the head, and adapted to be detachably engaged by tension members securable to the anchor member in a manner to radiate toward the hairline of the individual wearing the facelift device. The end of each tension member remote from the anchor member is preferably provided with an adhesive layer adapted to securely adhere to the skin of the wearer closely adjacent the hairline. The interconnection between the tension member and anchor member is such that varying degrees of tension may be imposed on the facial tissues, depending on the effect desired. Once the tension members have been adjusted to provide the requisite tension, the entire assembly is camouflaged by application of a wig thereover, or hidden from view by application of some other type of head covering.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. l is a face-on view of a woman having lines on the forehead, under the eyes and around the mouth in a manner previously described.

FIG. 2 is a face-on view of the same woman after the facelift device of the invention has been applied to eliminate such lines.

FIG. 3 is a face-on view of the same woman wearingthe facelift device to eliminate facial lines and wearing a wig to camouflage the presence of the facelift device.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of one form of tension member, a portion of the structure being broken away to reveal the adhesive surface thereon.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary edge view of the tension member illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a composite view illustrating four different types of anchor members, and three different methods by which the tension member may be secured thereto in a detachable manner. A modified tension member formed in two parts to provide an anchor strip portion and a tension strip portion is also illustrated.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating one method by which the end of the tension member remote from the face may be adjustably attached to the anchor member secured on the top of the head.

FIG. d is a view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a different method of adjustably securing the overlapped end of a tension member to the anchor member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In any system that applies tension continuously to a part of the human anatomy, consideration must be given to several important factors. For instance, in connection with a facelift adapted to continuously impose tension on facial tissues so as to remove or minimize lines or wrinkles, consideration must be given to the fact that such tension must be imposed in a manner that is not uncomfortable for the wearer. Additionally, it is important that any such tension-applying means be capable of application by the wearer, be reliable in its attachment, and that it not require puncturing the skin of the wearer. To meet these requirements it is necessary that the facelift be capable of adjustment to apply varying degrees of tension in various directions to varying portions of the face of the wearer, and that the facelift or tension members associated therewith be fastened to the skin in a reliable manner.

To accomplish these objects, the facelift device of the invention comprises an anchor member designated generally by the numeral 2, and illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6 as comprising a generally semispheroidal skull cap configuration, preferably fabricated from a net or mesh type of material light in weight yet resistant to being misshapen by application of tension to areas adjacent its outer periphery. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, four different embodiments of an anchor member are illustrated as

portions

3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively.

Referring first to an anchor member fabricated in the form illustrated by the portion 3, the anchor member is preferably configured in the form of a skull cap fabricated from a sheet 7 of synthetic resinous or other material, having an outer periphery d, and, where desired, an inner periphery 9. It should be understood that it is not necessary that a central aperture 9 be provided in the skull cap. It has been found that in some circumstances, as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is advantageous to pull a lock of hair 10 through the aperture so as to more firmly secure the skull cap to the crown of the head. On the other hand, it has also been found that securement of skull cap-type anchor members which do not have a central aperture may be effected through appropriate use of hair pins of various styles.

With the skull cap anchored securely to the top of the head, a tension member designated generally by the numeral 12 (FIG. 4) and comprising an elongated strap portion 13 integral at one end with a paddle-shaped portion 14 having a layer of adhesive 16 disposed thereon, and protected against deterioration or inadvertent adherence by a covering strip 17 having a tab 18 which may be grasped by the fingers so as to remove the protective covering from the adhesive-coated end of the tension member.

The other end 19 of the tension member may terminate abruptly as illustrated in FIG. 4 without having applied thereto any type of fastening means. Under these circumstances, the end of the tension member may be looped through an apenure 21 as illustrated in anchor portion 6, and tied by a knot 22. An alternative construction for the end of the tension member adapted to be attached to the skull cap is to provide a layer of adhesive 23 thereon as illustrated in FIG. 7, which permits looping the end of the tension member through the aperture in the skull cap as illustrated, and folding it back upon itself so that the two adhesive surfaces adhere to each other.

Still another alternative is illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the end of the tension member is provided with a multiplicity of anchor-type hooks 24 adapted to engage, literally bury themselves, in a layer of feltlike fibers 26 disposed on an adjacent area of the end of the tension member. Material of this type is presently available from at least one manufacturer under the trade name Velcro.

lnstead of fabricating the end of the tension member so as to provide an end portion 19 no wider than the strip portion 13, the end of the tension member may be formed with a paddleshaped end portion 27 as illustrated in FIG. 6, the underside of which is provided with a layer of adhesive 28 designed to adhere tightly to the surface 7 of the skull portion 3. In this embodiment, the layer of adhesive 28 is covered by an appropriate protective covering capable of being stripped from the end of the tension member in the same manner that protective strip 17 is stripped from the paddle portion 14 at the other end of the tension member.

ln some circumstances, it may be preferable to fabricate the skull cap and associated end of the tension member in a manner similar to the end of the tension member illustrated in FIG. 8. In such case, it is preferable that the skull cap portion 4 be provided over its entire surface, or over a selected peripheral portion thereof, with a layer of feltlike fibers 29, similar to the fibers 26 discussed in connection with FIG. 8, and which are adapted to be detachably engaged by hook members 31 disposed on the paddle-shaped end 32 of the tension member. With this construction, it will be apparent that the end of the tension member may be secured and detached at will, and repositioned to apply as much tension as is desired by the wearer.

lt has been found that the skull cap anchoring member may also be provided with anchor strip portions 33 which may constitute short strips caused to adhesively adhere to the anchoring member and radiate outwardly therefrom (FIG. 6), or which may constitute an integral extension radiating outwardly from the outer periphery of the anchor member. The free end 34 of the anchor strip is provided with a layer 36 of adhesive, to which the associated end 37 of the tension strip portion 38 may adhere. The other end of the tension strip portion is provided with an adhesive layer, as previously discussed, for detachable securement to the marginal portion of the wearers face.

lclaim:

l. A combination for providing a facelift device comprising:

a. an anchor member conformable to the crown of a human head and adapted to be detachably secured thereto;

b. a plurality of tensioning members having on one end thereof means adapted to be detachably secured adjacent a selected marginal portion of the face and on the other end thereof having means adapted to be detachably secured to said anchor member so as to tension the skin of the face in the direction in which each said tensioning member extends; and

c. means adapted to cover the crown of the head, said anchor member and said tensioning members when applied on the head.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which each said tensioning member is provided with a layer of adhesive on its end adap ed to be detachably secured to said marginal portion of the face.

3. The combination according to claim 1, in which each said tensioning member is provided with a layer of adhesive on its end adapted to be detachably secured to said anchor member.

4. The combination according to claim 1, in which each said tensioning member is provided with a layer of adhesive at both ends thereof, and said tensioning member in the area carrying the layer of adhesive is provided with a multiplicity of apertures.

5. The combination according to claim 1, in which said anchor member is provided with a series of apertures spaced around its outer edge portion, and each said tensioning member extends through an aperture and is doubled back upon itself and secured to provide a desired tension in the tension member.

6. The combination according to claim 1, in which each said tension member includes an anchor strip portion adhesively secured to the anchor member so that a free end portion thereof extends toward said marginal portion of the face and a tension strip portion the ends of which are provided with a layer of adhesive so that one end thereof may be adhesively secured to the marginal portion of the face and the other end adhesively secured to the free end of the anchor strip portion.

7. A facelift device adapted to be worn on the head of a wearer and applicable to tension the skin of the face, comprising:

a. an anchor member conformable to the crown of a human head and adapted to be detachably secured thereto; and

b. a plurality of tensioning members having on one end thereof means adapted to be detachably secured adjacent a selected marginal portion of the face and on the other end thereof having means adapted to be detachably secured to said anchor member so as to tension the skin of the face in the direction in which each said tensioning member extends.

8. The combination according to claim 7, in which each said tension member includes an anchor strip portion adhesively secured to the anchor member so that a free end portion thereof extends toward said marginal portion of the face and a tension strip portion the ends of which are provided with a layer of adhesive so that one end thereof may be adhesively secured to the marginal portion of the face and the other end adhesively secured to the free end of the anchor strip portion.

Claims

1. A combination for providing a facelift device comprising: a. an anchor member conformable to the crOwn of a human head and adapted to be detachably secured thereto; b. a plurality of tensioning members having on one end thereof means adapted to be detachably secured adjacent a selected marginal portion of the face and on the other end thereof having means adapted to be detachably secured to said anchor member so as to tension the skin of the face in the direction in which each said tensioning member extends; and c. means adapted to cover the crown of the head, said anchor member and said tensioning members when applied on the head.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which each said tensioning member is provided with a layer of adhesive on its end adapted to be detachably secured to said marginal portion of the face.

7. A facelift device adapted to be worn on the head of a wearer and applicable to tension the skin of the face, comprising: a. an anchor member conformable to the crown of a human head and adapted to be detachably secured thereto; and b. a plurality of tensioning members having on one end thereof means adapted to be detachably secured adjacent a selected marginal portion of the face and on the other end thereof having means adapted to be detachably secured to said anchor member so as to tension the skin of the face in the direction in which each said tensioning member extends.