Patent Application
20110308539
This invention relates generally to an artificial nail attachable to the fingernail or toenail region of a finger or toe to cover or form an extension of the nail, and more particularly, which includes an upstanding feature that can be used to separate or delineate coatings applied to different regions of the nail and to form a visible smile line to create a look of a French manicure, and which feature can stiffen or strengthen the structure of the artificial nail.
It has been known in the art of adorning the hands and feet to provide ornamental fingernail and toenail accessories made from thin, molded plastic members manufactured generally in the shape of a fingernail or toenail. Here, it should be noted and understood that as used herein, the terms “artificial fingernail”, “artificial toenail”, and “nail tip” and “fingernail tip” are considered as interchangeable terms for the purposes of the present invention, and that the present invention has equal utility and applicability for use with both fingernails and toenails, and therefore is not to be interpreted as being limited to one or the other. Fingernail tips, which are formed to provide an extension of the wearer's fingernails, are especially attractive accessories. For example, French tip fingernail accessories extend the end of the natural nail and provide a color variation between the natural nail and the tip. French tips create an attractive image by exaggerating the change of color or hue as the nail extends beyond the tip of the finger.
Commonly, an artificial nail or nail tip will consist of a plastics resin member molded to generally have the shape and appearance of a natural nail. A distal portion of the nail or nail tip will be adhered to or over a portion of the natural nail, typically using a rapid set adhesive, such as a cyano acrylate. Also typically, the thickness of the nail tip will result in a step between the upper nail tip surface and the natural nail surface. This can be sanded or filed smooth, or, a coating can be applied and sanded or filed as required to eliminate the step. Common coatings include, but are not limited to, paints, and blends of acrylic powder and acrylic liquid, and can be applied, e.g., brushed, over the entire combined surfaces of the nail tip and natural nail to the cuticle line, or just portions of the nail surface, and sanded, polished, etc., to achieve a smooth finish.
To create a French manicure look, the tip area of the nail surface will be given a white appearance. This can be done simply with paint and a mask, but this approach lacks durability. The French manicure look can also be created with acrylics, but requires establishing the smile line between the white tip and the other regions of the nail surface. A smile line herein is defined as analogous to, or a reproduction of, the curved line that extends across the natural nail delineating that portion of the nail still attached to the natural nail bed, and that portion that extends beyond the natural nail bed and is normally white or whitish in color. A common manner of artificial smile line creation include applying one color of coating material to the nail surface, then manually cutting the smile line using a tool such as a knife or the like, and removing the coating material on one side of the line. A coating material of a different color can then be applied to the area from which the material was removed, up to and using the smile line as a border. Creating an attractive smile line in this manner is time consuming and requires some skill, particularly to achieve a smooth line and uniform appearance between adjacent fingers or toes. Additionally, it is sometimes desired to create a smile line of a contrasting color between the different colored regions of the nail, which requires additional time.
In the commercial nail salon environment, increasing productivity and profitability are important goals. One manner of achieving these goals is to decrease the time that it takes a nail technician to complete a particular nail task. Presently, creating a French manicure look using acrylics is time consuming, on the order of 45 minutes to one hour for a set of ten, making this one of the more time consuming tasks in a salon. Therefore, providing a manner of reducing the time required for creating a French manicure set is a desirable objective.
Sometimes, a customer will desire a French tip look be added to her natural nails, without an artificial tip or nail. When using acrylics to produce this look, a smile line must also be created, using basically the same procedure set forth above, namely, one color of the artificial coating is applied; the smile line is cut into it; and the second color is applied. Again, this is a time consuming procedure that reduces salon productivity and requires advanced skill.
What is sought therefore, is an artificial nail and manner of use, particularly for creating a French manicure look, which is less time consuming, and overcomes one or more of the problems and shortcomings set forth above.
What is provided is an artificial nail and manner of use, particularly for creating a French manicure look, which is less time consuming, and overcomes one or more of the problems and shortcomings set forth above.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the artificial nail includes a thin member having a distal end portion, an opposite free end portion, and a concave lower surface and a convex upper surface extending between the end portions. At least a portion of the concave lower surface has a size and a curvature configured for placement in overlaying and substantially conforming relation to at least a portion of the natural fingernail or the natural toenail, and the upper surface includes an upstanding feature configured for separating a coating applied to region of the upper surface abutting one side of the feature, from a coating applied in abutting relation to an opposite side of the feature. Coatings that can be applied can include, but are not limited to, hardenable coating materials such as a mixture or blend of an acrylic liquid and powder.
According to a preferred step of a method of the invention, the artificial nail member is affixed to a natural fingernail or toenail, e.g., in the well known manner using a common cyano acrylate adhesive, and a first liquid hardenable coating material is applied to a first region in abutment with one side of the feature, and a second liquid hardenable material is applied to a second region in abutment with an opposite side of the feature, such that the feature serves as a barrier or wall separating and delineating the first material and the second material. According to another step, the coating materials are allowed to harden, and are abraded into a fanciful nail shape. The two coated regions of the resulting artificial nail will be separated by the upstanding feature, the upper extent of which preferably will be level with the upper surfaces of the coated regions, providing a smooth appearance, but clear and distinguishing delineation between the two regions.
According to additional preferred aspects of the invention, the first hardenable material can be a first color, and the second hardenable material a second color which contrasts with the first color.
According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the upstanding feature can have a curve shape, particularly when viewed from above, and more particularly, a three dimensional curve shape so as to appear naturally curved when viewed from the side or obliquely, forming a smile line between the first material and the second material to impart a look of a French manicure to the nail. In one embodiment, the feature has a curved shape that extends along a distal edge of the artificial nail member, delineating a concave region and a convex region, in the manner of a natural smile line. The upstanding feature can be clear or colorless, of the same color as one or the applied coatings, of a different color, to provide a desired contrasting look.
As another preferred aspect of the invention, the upstanding feature has a maximum height of from between about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters above the upper surface of the member. The feature can also be configured to stiffen and/or strengthen the artificial nail. For this purpose, and to facilitate manufacture and utility for separating and delineating the coatings, the raised feature can be molded in place on the artificial nail member, or formed thereon by bending, folding or other mechanical manipulation, forming a stiffening and strengthening rib and barrier to coatings flow. As another alternative, the upstanding feature can be attached to the nail member in a suitable manner, such as using adhesives, plastics welding such as ultrasonic welding, and the like.
Referring now to the drawings, according to the invention, several embodiments of an artificial nail and steps of a method for using the same, will be shown and discussed.
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Upstanding feature 22 of artificial nail 20 here extends upwardly from a distal edge 36 of nail 20, and has a three dimensional curve shape, which generally follows the convexity of upper surface 34 between side edges 28 and 30. Feature 22 has a concave side 38 bounding and partially defining a concavity 40, and an opposite convex side 42, bounding upper surface 34. Here, upstanding feature 22 is preferably integrally formed with nail 20, e.g., by injection molding, or by bending or folding up a portion of the nail to cause plastic deformation thereof, and in the FIGURES feature 22 is intended to depict each of these constructions. The curve shape of feature 22 here is intended to mimic at least generally the shape of the smile line of a natural nail natural nail, so as to have utility for producing a French manicure look, of which, a smile line is an important defining characteristic, but it should also be understood that feature 22 can have a wide variety of alternative shapes, such as, but not limited to, a common geometric shape such as a circle, star, diamond, or teardrop; or a fanciful shape such as a letter, musical note, flag, or the like, and therefore the invention is not to be limited to the shape shown. it should be noted also that feature 22, although here depicted coincident with distal edge 36 of nail 20, could alternatively be located at any desired location on or adjacent to surface 34, as desired or required for a particular application.
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In light of all the foregoing, it should thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that there has been shown and described a novel artificial nail and method. However, it should also be apparent that, within the principles and scope of the invention, many changes are possible and contemplated, including in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention. Thus, while the foregoing description and discussion addresses certain preferred embodiments or elements of the invention, it should further be understood that concepts of the invention, as based upon the foregoing description and discussion, may be readily incorporated into or employed in other embodiments and constructions without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the invention broadly as well as in the specific form shown, and all changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
