Patent Application
20210153663
This invention relates to nail clipping. More particularly, it relates to stands used to ease nail clipping.
A nail is a horn-like keratinous envelope covering the tips of the fingers and toes in most primates. Nails evolved from claws found in other animals. Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough protective protein called alpha-keratin which is found in the hooves, hair, claws and horns of vertebrates.
The nail consists of the nail plate, the nail matrix and the nail bed below it, and the grooves surrounding it.
The matrix, sometimes called the matrix unguis, keratogenous membrane, nail matrix, or onychostroma, is the tissue (or germinal matrix) which the nail protects. It is the part of the nail bed that is beneath the nail and contains nerves, lymph and blood vessels. The matrix produces cells that become the nail plate. The width and thickness of the nail plate is determined by the size, length, and thickness of the matrix, while the shape of the fingertip itself shows if the nail plate is flat, arched, or hooked. The matrix will continue to produce cells as long as it receives nutrition and remains in a healthy condition. As new nail plate cells are made, they push older nail plate cells forward; and in this way older cells become compressed, flat, and translucent. This makes the capillaries in the nail bed below visible, resulting in a pink color.
The nail sinus (sinus unguis) is where the nail root is; i.e. the base of the nail underneath the skin. It originates from the actively growing tissue below, the matrix.
The nail plate (corpus unguis) is the hard part of the nail, made of translucent keratin protein. Several layers of dead, compacted cells cause the nail to be strong but flexible. Its (transverse) shape is determined by the form of the underlying bone. In common usage, the word nail often refers to this part only.
The free margin (Margo liber) or distal edge is the anterior margin of the nail plate corresponding to the abrasive or cutting edge of the nail. The hyponychium (informally known as the “quick”) is the epithelium located beneath the nail plate at the junction between the free edge and the skin of the fingertip. It forms a seal that protects the nail bed. The ectodermal band is the seal between the nail plate and the hyponychium. It is just under the free edge, in that portion of the nail where the nail bed ends and can be recognized in fair-skinned people by its glassy, greyish color. It is not visible in some individuals while it is highly prominent on others.
Nails can also become thickened, loosened, infected with fungus, or degenerate. A common nail disorder is an ingrown toenail.
The best way to care for nails is to trim them regularly. Filing is also recommended, as to keep nails from becoming too rough and to remove any small bumps or ridges that may cause the nail to get tangled up in materials such as cloth.
When those who need to have their toenails trimmed and are of an older age, disabled or unable to fully reach their toes in normal situations, they are unable or at the needs of others to trim their toenails. This can cause many of the issues when they do not take proper care of their toenails.
Accordingly, and in light of the foregoing, there is a need for an apparatus to aid those individuals that are of an older age, disabled or unable to fully reach their toes in normal situations, they are unable or at the needs of others to trim their toenails.
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.
“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.
Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.
Referring to
The nail clipping stand 100 preferably has a height of eighteen (18) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, fifteen (15) inches, twenty (20) inches, etc. The nail clipping stand 100 preferably has a length of twelve (12) inches, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, ten (10) inches, thirteen (13) inches, etc. The nail clipping stand 100 preferably has a width of six (6) inches, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, four (4) inches, seven (7) inches, etc. The nail clipping stand 100 may be of any color desired.
The nail clipping stand 100 has a stand apparatus 200.
The stand apparatus 200 has a first leg 210, a second leg 220, a catch tray 600 and a foot rest 500.
The foot rest 500 has a first end 501, a second end 502, a top 503 and a bottom 504. The foot rest 500 are preferably padded. The first end 501 of the foot rest 500 also has a folding heel rest 505. The heel rest 505 can swivel a few degrees to accommodate the rotation of the leg at the knee, while still supporting the leg and foot
The top 503 of the foot rest 500 is configured to accommodate a foot 400 of a person. A heel 401 of the foot 400 of the person is positioned to be substantially near the first end 501 of the foot rest 500. Toes 402 of the foot 400 of the person is positioned to be substantially near the second end 502 of the foot rest 500. The foot rest 500 is angled such that the first end 501 of the foot rest 500 is at least closer to a ground or floor 900 than the second end 502 of the foot rest 500.
The first leg 210 has a first end 211 and a second end 212. The first end 211 of the first leg 210 is configured to be on the ground or the floor. The second end 212 of the first leg 210 is configured to be hingedly coupled substantially near the first end 501 of the bottom 504 of the foot rest 500. The first leg 210 has a height position coupling 213. The first leg 210 preferably is variable in height by use of the height coupling 213. The number of height positions of the leg is preferably two positions, however other number of positions are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, one (1), four (4), etc.
In
The second leg 220 has a first end 221 and a second end 222. The first end 221 of the second leg 220 is configured to be on the ground or the floor 900. The second end 222 of the second leg 220 is configured to be hingedly coupled substantially near the second end 502 of the bottom 504 of the foot rest 500. The second leg 220 has a height position coupling 223. The second leg 220 preferably is variable in height by use of the height coupling 223. The number of height positions of the leg is preferably two positions, however other number of positions are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, one (1), four (4), etc. The second leg 220 is at least greater height than the first leg 210.
The difference of the height of the first leg 210 and the second leg 220 configures an angle of the foot rest 500 such that the toes 402 of the person resting substantially near the second end 502 of the foot rest 500 is higher and easier to reach than the heel 401 of the foot 400 of the person positioned to be substantially near the first end 501 of the foot rest 500.
In
The heel rest 505 can be folded on the first end 501 configured to be coupled to the top 503 of the foot rest 500 as shown in
The catch tray 600 is hingedly coupled to the second end 502 of the foot rest 500 such that when clipping of nails are clipped, they fall into the catch tray 600 to ease in the removable of the nail clippings. The catch tray 600 of the stand apparatus 100 is preferably box shape, however other shapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, cup, square, oval, trapezoidal, etc.
In
In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.
The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate (e.g. being part of furniture items, such as sofas, chairs, beds, etc., but not limited to these), without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
