GB2385300A

GB2385300A - A stencil device

Info

Publication number: GB2385300A
Application number: GB0203432A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon John Everingham
Original assignee: SIMAIR GRAPHICS EQUIPMENT Ltd
Current assignee: SIMAIR GRAPHICS EQUIPMENT Ltd
Priority date: 2002-02-13
Filing date: 2002-02-13
Publication date: 2003-08-20
Also published as: GB0203432D0

Abstract

A stencil device has a first portion (1) comprising a stencil (3), and a second portion (2) providing a handle for the stencil device. The first and second portions (1, 2) are provided by a single piece of material which is cut or otherwise formed from a sheet of material, and the second portion (2) is provided by material which is or can be deformed into a substantially tubular handle. The second portion (2) comprises means (6, 7) for interconnecting surfaces and/or edges thereof, so that the handle can be made to retain its substantially tubular shape.

Description

A Stencil Device The present invention relates to a stencil device particularly, although not exclusively, suitable for use in colouring a part or parts of the human body.

Stencils have long been in existence for use in applying patterns to various types of object. For example, in industry a stencil can be cut-out to define a number or word identifying a particular object such as a packing case, and the number or word can be applied to the object by an operative first applying the stencil to the object, and by then painting over the stencil with a paint-laden brush or roller so that the number or word appears on the object.

Such a stencil can be re-used several times, meaning that an operative can use the stencil to paint the number or word onto a series of objects, for example along an industrial production line.

It is also well known that tattoos can be applied to human skin, and such tattoos can be either permanent or temporary, depending on the nature of the colouring agent used. It has also been well known for many years to apply colour to human hair for cosmetic purposes.

For some time now we have been experimenting with the concept of combining the ideas discussed hereinbefore, so that a stencil may be employed to apply a pattern to human skin and/or human hair.

Primarily we have proposed that a stencil be used with a fine spray gun or brush, so that the stencil can be held against the skin or hair and then colouring sprayed onto the stencil and the skin or hair left

exposed under the stencil, so that the pattern of the stencil is transferred to the skin or hair for artistic and/or cosmetic purposes.

We have experimented with stencils for the skin and the hair in conjunction with spray devices, but a problem we have encountered is that it is difficult to achieve good results and cleanliness, especially when a person is attempting to colour his or her own skin or hair. Thus when using a spray the person holding the stencil tends to receive some of the sprayed agent on his or her fingers, and the colouring agent tends to be transferred from the fingers to other regions undesirably, even when the person holding the stencil wears gloves.

This problem can apply whatever the stencil is being used to colour, although the problem is particularly acute when a person is attempting to colour his or her own skin or hair because of the difficulty of holding the stencil with one hand, and manipulating a spray device with the other hand, sometimes out of the view of the person concerned.

According to the present invention there is provided a stencil device having a first portion comprising a stencil, and a second portion for providing a handle for the stencil device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention allows a person to grasp the stencil device by the handle, and since the stencil and the handle are provided by first and second different portions of the stencil device, the person can avoid or lessen colouring agent from a spray device, brush or roller being applied to the person's hand.

A particularly simple stencil device can be made by the first and second portions being provided by a single piece of material which may be cut or otherwise formed from a sheet of material.

An advantageous form of handle can be provided if the second portion is provided by material which is or can be deformed by the user into a substantially tubular handle, preferably with the second portion comprising means for interconnecting surfaces and/or edges thereof so that the handle can be made to retain its substantially tubular shape.

Preferably the first portion is larger in area than the second portion, and in any embodiment the first and second portions may be interconnected by a neck which is less wide than each of the first and second portions.

In a development, the stencil device may comprise a third portion comprising a backing sheet for the stencil, such that human hair can be placed between the stencil and the backing sheet. Possibly, the stencil and the backing sheet may be detachably interconnected together.

A variation of a stencil device according to the invention, enables the third portion or backing sheet to be provided by a single piece of material with the second portion or handle. In this case the first portion comprising the stencil can be detachably interconnected with the main body of the stencil device, whilst any or all of the subsidiary features mentioned hereinbefore can be provided in this variation also.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be put into practice reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing wherein: Figure 1 shows an example of a stencil device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a backing sheet which can be detachably applied to the stencil device of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows the stencil device of Figure 1 in perspective and ready for use; and Figure 4 shows the stencil device of Figure 1 from the end with the handle.

Figure 1 shows one example of a stencil device according to the present invention. The stencil device is provided by a single piece of material cut from a sheet of thin and flexible plastics.

A first portion 1 of the single piece of material is substantially rectangular in shape, with an inner rectangular region 3 providing a stencil. In the present case the stencil consists of a plurality of diagonally-extending bars of the material of the first portion 1, which in use will result in a pattern of wider diagonal bars on the hair or skin.

The first portion 1 is connected to a second portion 2 of the single piece of material by a neck 4.

The first portion 1 is larger in area than the second portion 2, and the neck 4 is less wide than both the first portion 1 and the second portion 2 along the direction of the shorter side of the rectangular shape

of the first portion 1.

A second single piece of material in the form of a backing sheet (to be described), can be removably attached to the first portion 1 by means of four pressstuds 5 provided just inside the four corners of the rectangular first portion 1, whilst male press-studs 6 and female press-studs 7 are provided close to the top and bottom edges of the second portion 2.

Figure 2 shows a plain backing sheet 8 formed of another single piece of thin and flexible plastics material and provided with four press-studs 9 just inside its four corners. The shape of the outline of the backing sheet 8 is exactly the same as that of the first portion 1, and the backing sheet 8 can be detachably secured to the first portion 1, by means of interengaging male and female press-studs 5 and 9, underneath the first portion 1.

The plastics material providing the first and second portions 1 and 2 is sufficiently thin and flexible so that the second portion 2 can be deformed by being curled around into a substantially tubular handle shape, with the press-studs 6 and 7 being interconnected to make the second portion 2 retain its substantially tubular shape.

Accordingly, Figure 3 shows the stencil device of Figure 1 with the backing sheet 8 of Figure 2 detachably secured thereto underneath the first portion 1 and with the second portion 2 curled around, secured by press-studs 6 and 7, to provide the illustrated tubular handle.

Similarly, Figure 4 is a view of the assembled

stencil device of Figure 3 shown looking into the free end of the handle thereof. The backing sheet 8 is shown attached below the first portion 1, by the detachably interconnected press-studs 5 and 9. Only two sets of press-studs 5 and 9 are visible in Figure 4, since the other two sets thereof are behind them.

The second portion 2 is shown curled around into a tubular shape, with the upper and lower edges thereof as shown in Figure 1 being detachably interconnected by the two pairs of press-studs 6 and 7. Again, only the first pair of press-studs 6 and 7 is visible in Figure 4.

In its simplest form, the stencil device of Figure 1 is easily manufactured from a sheet of suitable plastics material, and it may be sold in its simple Figure 1 form, with press-studs 4 to 7 applied, for the customer to simply roll up the second portion 2 to provide the tubular handle of the stencil device ready for use. The backing sheet 8 of Figure 2, and thus the press-studs 5 of Figure 1, need not be provided in the stencil device in its simplest form.

The stencil 3 is shown as an extremely simple stencil of diagonal stripes, although many variations of pattern could be used for the stencil. One particular pattern could consist of many small, irregular, holes cut away from the first portion 1 to provide a pattern similar to that of the coat of a bigcat, for example a leopard.

It is envisaged that the stencil 3 will usually be formed by cutting out areas from the single piece of material providing the first and second portions 1 and 2, although this need not always be the case. Thus,

although the first and second portions 1 and 2 can be provided from a single piece of material, the stencil region 3 may be provided by at least one other piece of material inserted into a relatively large aperture in the first portion 1.

The simple stencil device of Figure 1 could be used for spraying a coloured pattern onto human skin, or onto human hair. The optional backing sheet 8 of Figure 2 is designed to assist in this latter application, since when the backing sheet 8 of Figure 2 is applied to the simple stencil device of Figure 1, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, human hair can be placed between the stencil 3 and the backing sheet 8 so that it can be coloured through the stencil 3, whilst other hair at the rear side of the backing sheet 8 can be shielded from colouration.

Although an embodiment has been specifically illustrated and described wherein a stencil portion 1 and a handle portion 2 are provided by a single piece of material, with a backing sheet 8 being a separate piece of material, it will be understood that in an alternative embodiment the handle portion 2 and a backing sheet portion 8 could be provided by a single piece of material, with the stencil-providing first portion 1 itself being a separate piece of material.

In other words, in Figures 1 and 2 the first portion 1 and the backing sheet 8 could exchange places in an embodiment which would be clearly equivalent in structure and function to the embodiment actually illustrated.

Although an example of the invention has been illustrated and described particularly in respect of decorating part of a human body, for example the skin

or the hair, it can be envisaged that a stencil device according to the present invention could also find application industrially, such as is described at the beginning of this specification.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A stencil device having a first portion comprising a stencil, and a second portion for providing a handle for the stencil device.

2. A stencil device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are provided by a single piece of material.

3. A stencil device according to claim 2, wherein the single piece of material is cut or otherwise formed from a sheet of material.

4. A stencil device according to any preceding claim, wherein the second portion is provided by material which is or can be deformed into a substantially tubular handle.

5. A stencil device according to claim 4, wherein the second portion comprises means for interconnecting surfaces and/or edges thereof, so that the handle can be made to retain its substantially tubular shape.

6. A stencil device according to claim 5, wherein said interconnecting means comprise interengageable press-studs.

7. A stencil device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first portion is larger in area than the second portion.

8. A stencil device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second portions are interconnected by a neck which is less wide than each

of the first and second portions.

9. A stencil device according to any preceding claim, and comprising a third portion providing a backing sheet for the stencil, such that human hair can be placed between the stencil and the backing sheet.

10. A stencil device according to claim 9, wherein the first and/or third portion comprises means for detachably interconnecting the stencil and the backing sheet.

11. A stencil device according to claim 10, wherein said interconnecting means comprise interengageable press-studs.

12. A stencil device according to claim 1, and further comprising a third portion providing a backing sheet for the stencil, such that human hair can be placed between the stencil and the backing sheet, with the second and third portions being provided by a single piece of material.

13. A stencil device according to claim 12, wherein the single piece of material is cut or otherwise formed from a sheet of material.

14. A stencil device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the second portion is provided by material which is or can be deformed into a substantially tubular handle.

15. A stencil device according to claim 14, wherein the second portion comprises means for interconnecting surfaces and/or edges thereof, so that the handle can be made to retain its substantially

tubular shape.

16. A stencil device according to claim 15, wherein said interconnecting means comprise interengageable press-studs.

17. A stencil device according to any of claims 12 to 16, wherein the third portion is larger in area than the second portion.

18. A stencil device according to any of claims 12 to 17, wherein the second and third portions are interconnected by a neck which is less wide than each of the second and third portions.

19. A stencil device according to any of claims 12 to 18, wherein the first and/or third portion comprises means for detachably interconnecting the stencil and the backing sheet.

20. A stencil device according to claim 19, wherein said interconnecting means comprise interengageable press-studs.

21. A stencil device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.