Patent Application
20230210238
This disclosure generally relates to nail painting and more specifically to tray for nail painting.
A usual nail painting application is to paint a nail with one color. A user looking to paint the nail with more than one color would apply the paint colors sequentially. For example, the user would paint the nail with a first color, wait until the first color dries, and then paint the nail with a second color. The drying time between applications of different color paint makes the nail painting process lengthy. Alternatively, if the user does not wait until the first color dries to apply the second color, then the user has to paint with accuracy to prevent damaging the first color. Therefore, painting a nail with multiple paint colors can be a lengthy and difficult process.
According to some embodiments, a color tray includes paint compartments for holding different colors of paint that can be applied to a user's nail simultaneously. The compartments are partitioned from each other by a ramped wall. A user deposits a different color of nail paint (for the purposes of this disclosure nail paint and nail polish are used interchangeably) in each compartment. The user places a brush on the ramped wall so that the ramped wall divides the bristles, with one portion of the bristles positioned in one compartment and the other portion positioned in the other compartment. The user slides the brush along the ramped wall, which drags the bristles through the paint in the respective compartment. As a result, the first portion of bristles is loaded with a first color of paint and a second portion of bristles is loaded with a second color of paint. The user then applies the two colors simultaneously to a nail in the same fashion as if applying just a single color. In this way, the nail can be decorated with two side-by-side colors in the same amount of time as it would take to apply one color.
According to an aspect, a color tray includes a first paint compartment configured to hold a first paint color; a second paint compartment configured to hold a second paint color, wherein the first and second paint compartments converge at a convergence point; and a bristle divider that partitions the first paint compartment from the second paint compartment, the bristle divider being ramped downward toward the convergence point such that a height of the bristle divider decreases toward the convergence point.
Optionally, a base of the first paint compartment and the second paint compartment is flat and the bristle divider is ramped relative to the flat base. The height of the bristle divider relative to the base may configure the paint compartments to decrease in depth towards the convergence point.
Optionally, the tray includes a plurality of bristle dividers, each of which converges at the convergence point.
Optionally, the first paint compartment and the second paint compartment have the same shape.
Optionally, the tray includes at least one paint storage compartment configured to hold a paint bottle and at least one paint brush holder. The at least one paint storage compartment can be positioned at one periphery of the color tray and the at least one paint brush holder can be positioned at an opposite periphery of the color tray.
Optionally, a first side of the first paint compartment is defined by the bristle divider and a second side of the first paint compartment is defined by a second bristle divider.
According to an aspect, a kit includes at least one brush; and a color tray that includes: a first paint compartment configured to hold a first paint color; a second paint compartment configured to hold a second paint color, wherein the first and second paint compartments converge at a convergence point; and a bristle divider that partitions the first paint compartment from the second paint compartment, the bristle divider being ramped downward toward the convergence point such that a height of the bristle divider decreases toward the convergence point.
Optionally, a base of the first paint compartment and the second paint compartment is flat and the bristle divider is ramped relative to the flat base.
Optionally, the kit includes a plurality of bristle dividers, each of which converges at the convergence point.
Optionally, the kids includes at least one paint storage compartment configured to hold a paint bottle and at least one paint brush holder.
Optionally, the brush comprises a continuous tuft of bristles and the bristle divider is configured to split the continuous tuft of bristles into a first section and a second section so that the first section of bristles can be located in the first paint compartment that holds the first paint color and the second section of bristles can be located in the second paint compartment that holds the second paint color.
According to an aspect, a method for applying paint includes pressing a paint brush against a ramped bristle divider of a color tray to split the bristles of the paint brush into a first section and a second section so that the first section of bristles is located in a first paint compartment of the color tray that holds a first paint color and the second section of bristles is located in a second paint compartment of the color tray that holds a second paint color; drawing the paint brush along the ramped bristle divider that ramps downward toward a convergence of the first and second paint compartments to simultaneously load the first section with the first paint color and the second section with the second paint color; and simultaneously applying the first paint color loaded on the first section of the paint brush and the second paint color loaded on the second section of the paint brush to at least one nail.
Optionally, a base of the first paint compartment and the second paint compartment is flat and the bristle divider is ramped relative to the flat base.
Optionally, the paint brush comprises a continuous tuft of bristles and pressing the paint brush against the ramped bristle divider splits the continuous tuft of bristles into the first and second sections.
Optionally, the method includes pressing the paint brush again against the bristle divider and drawing the paint brush along the ramped bristle divider to simultaneously reload the first section with the first paint color and the second section with the second paint color.
Optionally, the method includes using nail polish remover to remove the first paint color and the second paint color from one or more of the paint brush, the first paint compartment, and the second paint compartment.
Optionally, the color tray comprises the first paint compartment, the second paint compartment, at least one paint storage compartment positioned at one periphery of the color tray, and at least one paint brush holder positioned at an opposite periphery of the color tray, and the method comprises storing a paint bottle in the at least one paint storage compartment and storing the paint brush in the at least one paint brush holder.
Optionally, the first paint compartment and the second paint compartment have the same shape.
The disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Devices, kits, and methods according to various embodiments described herein include a color tray that includes paint compartments configured such that a user may simultaneously load paint held in adjacent compartments onto a paint brush for painting at least one nail with different paint colors simultaneously. The paint compartments are configured to converge at a same convergence point and are partitioned from each other by a bristle divider. The bristle divider may be ramped to help control an amount of paint loaded onto the paint brush. By configuring the paint compartments and bristle divider in this way, a user may simultaneously load a paint brush with a controlled amount of a first paint color from a first paint compartment and a controlled amount of second paint color from a second paint compartment by pressing the paint brush against the bristle divider that partitions the first and second paint compartments from each other. For example, a user may press the paint brush against the bristle divider which causes bristles of the paint brush to flex at a point of contact with the bristle divider and separate into sections. The sections are directed by the bristle divider into different paint compartments. With the sections each in a different paint compartment, the paint brush may be loaded simultaneously with paint from different paint compartments, which can hold different colors of paint. Ramping of the bristle divider controls an amount of paint loaded onto the brush by controlling a length of the bristles in contact with paint in the paint compartments. Removing the paint brush away from the bristle divider allows the sections to flex back to form a continuous tuft of bristles for simultaneously transferring paint (e.g., difference colors of paint) from the paint brush to at least one nail.
According to various embodiments, the brush includes a continuous tuft of bristles that is split into two sections by the bristle divider as the brush straddles the bristle divider. Such splitting of the continuous tuft of bristles allows one of the two sections to be located in the first paint compartment and the other section to be located in the second paint compartment. In this way, the paint brush may be simultaneously loaded with a paint color from two paint compartments. When a user moves the paint brush away from the bristle divider, the bristles of the two sections can flex back towards each other to reform the continuous tuft of bristles of the paint brush. Paint colors loaded on the continuous tuft of bristles can be then simultaneously painted onto one or more nails.
According to some embodiments, the bristle divider is a ramped wall sloped downward towards a convergence of the paint compartments to control how much paint is loaded onto the first and second portion of bristles as a user presses the paint brush against the ramped wall. The bristle divider may be sloped relative to a flat base of the paint compartments such that a height of the bristle divider decreases toward a convergence point relative to the flat base of the paint compartments. In this way, the bristle divider is sloped to form shallow and deeper areas within the paint compartments. According to some embodiments, in the shallow areas, when the paint brush is pressed against the bristle divider such that a base of the bristles abut a top of the bristle divider, a first length of the first and second bristle portions can be used to contact and pass through paint. In the deeper areas, when the paint brush is pressed against the bristle divider such that a base of the bristles abut a top of the bristle divider, a second length of the first and second bristle portions can be used to contact and pass through paint. According to some embodiments, the first length may be longer than the second length. Thus, more paint can be pushed and loaded onto the paint brush in the shallower area than in the deeper areas of the paint compartments. Furthermore, as the paint brush is dragged along the bristle divider, a length of the bristles in contact with paint can vary between the first length and the second length.
According to some embodiments, when the paint brush is pressed against the bristle divider such that the base of the bristles abuts the top of the bristle divider, the first and second portions respectively fully extend into the first and second paint compartments. If the fully extended first and second portions contact the flat base of the paint compartments, the first and second portions may flex depending away or toward the convergence point depending on which direction the pressed paint brush is dragged along the bristle divider. Flexing away from the convergence helps move paint away from the convergence and flexing towards the convergence helps move paint towards the convergence. According to some embodiments, after pressing the paint brush against the bristle divider, dragging the paint brush along the bristle divider towards the convergence may flex the first and second portions such that tips of the first and second portion are directed away from the convergence. Dragging the paint brush along the bristle divider away from the convergence may flex the first and second portion such that tips of the first and second portions are directed towards the convergence.
According to some embodiments, the convergence of the paint compartments at a common convergence point helps concentrate the paint at a common location so that both colors of paint can be loaded simultaneously onto the paint brush.
In the following description of the disclosure and embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments that can be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments and examples can be practiced, and changes can be made, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
In addition, it is also to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used in the following description are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the term “and/or,” as used herein, refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It is further to be understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or units, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, units, and/or groups thereof.
According to some embodiments, a color tray for nail painting can include at least two adjacent paint compartments configured to hold paint and a bristle divider that separates the two adjacent paint compartments from each other. The color tray can be used to keep paint colors physically separated, yet in close enough proximity to each other to allow a user to load a paint brush simultaneously with two paint colors. The paint compartments and the bristle divider separating the paint compartments can converge at a same convergence point to enable loading a paint brush simultaneously with two paint colors from adjacent paint compartments by pressing a paint brush against the bristle divider. Further, as a paint brush is dragged along the bristle divider toward the convergence point, the paint is pushed toward the convergence point, which concentrates the paint, enabling a thicker coat of paint to be loaded onto the brush. As the paint brush is dragged along the bristle divider away from the convergence point, the paint is pushed away the convergence point, which spreads the paint, enabling a thinner coat of paint to be loaded onto brush.
According to some embodiments, and as shown in
The bristle divider is a wall that separates adjacent paint compartments. According to some embodiments, the bristle divider can be ramped as illustrated most clearly in
According to some embodiments, the paint compartments of the color tray may have a same shape and may be arranged to have different orientations or alternating orientations. For example, paint compartments 102a, 102b are oriented to mirror each other across bristle divider 112a, paint compartments 102c, 102d are oriented to mirror each other across bristle divider 114b, and paint compartments 102e, 102f are oriented to mirror each other across bristle divider 114c. Some of the paint compartments can be oriented to mirror other paint compartments across other bristle dividers. For example, paint compartments 102b, 102c are oriented to mirror each other across bristle divider 112d and paint compartments 102d, 102e are oriented to mirror each other across bristle divider 112e.
The components of the color tray 100 may be organized in any suitable arrangement that includes two adjacent paint compartments 102 separated by a bristle divider 112. In the example of
According to some embodiments, paint compartments of the color tray may include a flat base. The flat base may be one piece that spans as a base for the paint compartments. Alternatively, the flat base may comprise a plurality of flat bases for each paint compartment. An example of a flat base 116 that spans as a base for the paint compartments 102 is shown in
According to some embodiments, one or more paint bottle compartments and one or more paint brush holders may include either a flat base or a contoured base. The base of the paint bottle compartments may be a single piece that spans as a base for the paint bottle compartments or may include partitioned bases for each paint bottle compartment. The base of the paint brush holders may be a single piece that spans as a base for the paint brush holders or may include partitioned bases for the paint brush holders. In the example shown in
The color tray can be used as a color palette for painting a nail simultaneously with two paint colors. To use the color tray in this way, a user may apply paint into two adjacent paint compartments 102b and 102c, as shown in
In the example of
According to some embodiments, the first and second sections 126a, 126b may be loaded with different paint colors simultaneously. According to some embodiments, when a user stops pressing the paint brush 110 against the bristle divider 112b and moves the paint brush 110 away from the bristle divider 112b such that the bristle divider no longer interjects into the continuous tuft of bristles 124, the first section 126a and the second section 126b can flex back to form the continuous tuft of bristles 124. An example of the reformed continuous tuft of bristles 124 is shown in
The continuous tuft of bristles 124 loaded with paint can be used to simultaneously apply paint to at least one nail. An example of such simultaneous paint application is shown in
According to some embodiments, a kit may include the color tray 100 and at least one paint brush 110. According to some embodiments, a kit may include the color tray 100, one or more paint bottles 108, and one or more paint brushes 110.
At step 210, a paint brush may be pressed by a user against a ramped bristle divider to split the bristles of the paint brush into a first section and a second section so that the first section of bristles is located in a first paint compartment that holds a first paint color and the second section of bristles is located in a second paint compartment that holds a second paint color. According to some embodiments, a user may press the paint brush against the ramped bristle divider and position the first and second sections as needed to dip at least ends of the first and second sections respectively into the first and second paint colors.
At step 220, the paint brush may be drawn along the ramped bristle divider that ramps downward toward a convergence of the first and second paint compartments to simultaneously load the first section with the first paint color and the second section with the second paint color. According to some embodiments, the bristle divider is ramped such that a height of the bristle divider decreases towards the convergence. This ramping of the bristle divider configures the paint compartments to have shallower depths closer to the convergence. Compared to deeper depths, at shallower depths of the paint compartments, an increased length of bristles of the paint brush can contact a base of the paint compartments and paint on the base. The length of bristles in contact with paint determines how much paint can be moved by the bristles and loaded onto the bristles when the paint brush is pressed against the bristle divider. For example, the paint brush may be drawn along the ramped bristle divider towards the convergence to concentrate paint and load more paint onto the paint brush. According to some embodiments, the paint brush may be drawn along the ramped bristle divider away from the convergence to thin the paint and load less paint onto the paint brush. At step 230, the first paint color loaded on the first section of the paint brush and the second paint color loaded on the second section of the paint brush may be simultaneously applied to at least one nail.
According to some embodiments, method 200 may include reloading paint onto the sections of the paint brush. For example, the paint brush may be pressed again against the bristle divider and drawn along the ramped bristle divider to simultaneously reload the first section with the first paint color and the second section with the second paint color. According to some embodiments, the method may include removing paint color from the sections of the paint brush and pressing the paint brush once again against the bristle divider to split the paint brush into sections and dip each section in a different paint compartment. According to some embodiments, paint from one or more of the paint brush, the first paint compartment, and the second paint compartment may be removed using nail polish remover.
The foregoing description, for the purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the techniques and their practical applications. Others skilled in the art are thereby enabled to best utilize the techniques and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described with reference to the accompanying figures, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined by the claims. Finally, the entire disclosure of the patents and publications referred to in this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
