The subject matter of the present disclosure relates to aids for applying nail polish to the hands.
The application of nail polish to one's nails can present certain challenges. For instance, one typically endeavors to complete the application of polish without allowing stray polish to contact surrounding items and surfaces, as it has a tendency to stain items and/or be difficult to remove. One must also endeavor not to tip over or otherwise allow the nail polish container to spill it contents. However, because one must frequently wet the nail polish brush, it is impractical (or in the case of a combined cap and applicator, impossible) to replace the nail polish container cap during the application process. Furthermore, placement of the nail polish container is preferably proximate to one's nails during the application process to ease the process and lessen the chance of errant polish. While in some situations placement of the container on a table or other flat surface is sufficient, in many other cases a user may be forced to place the polish container in an insecure location where it may be susceptible to spilling.
Certain hand-based holders for nail polish containers have been previously proposed. Examples include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/862,583, entitled “Fingernail Polishing Device and Method of Use” and filed Apr. 15, 2013, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,231, entitled “Finger Supported Holder for Nail Polish” and filed Jan. 25, 1937. The disclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/862,583 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,231 are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. However, previous solutions have proven impractical for a number of reasons. For instance, nail polish containers vary widely in their size and shape, and many solutions fail to adequately accommodate such variations. Other solutions force the user to maintain an impractical hand position. Despite the widespread use of nail polish in light of the problems above, the lack of a commonly-available holding apparatus is indicative that an effective solution has not been previously realized.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
Disclosed is holder that allows a user to dispose a nail polish container against the user's hand for ease of use when applying nail polish.
In an exemplary embodiment, the holder includes two finger ring portions, each having an opening slit, which accommodates various finger sizes. A crown is disposed above the finger rings and has an expandable opening configured to receive various sizes and shapes of nail polish containers.
The foregoing summary, preferred embodiments, and other aspects of the present disclosure will be best understood with reference to a detailed description of specific embodiments, which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Disclosed is a holding apparatus for nail polish containers that allows a user to position a nail polish container against one's hands so that application of the nail polish is made easier.
Preferably, the shape of the ring portions 102, 103 is configured to allow the holder to be worn securely on the hand, without gripping it with the other hand. The thickness of the ring portions 102, 103 may be chosen to allow the wearer to grasp Holder 101 more securely by slightly squeezing the fingers together. The use of pliable material and the slit openings allow the ring to self-adjust to various finger sizes and shapes.
In certain embodiments, squeeze tabs are disposed on the ring portions. Specifically, optionally disposed on the outer surfaces of the respective ring portions are squeeze tabs 105. When pressure is applied to the squeeze tabs, the opening slits 104 expand to increase the diameter of the ring portions, allowing the user to more easily don the holder onto their fingers.
Crown 106 has an internal cavity formed therein (pictured in
The disclosed holder presents several advantages. It is compact, portable and lightweight, allowing a user to keep it readily available. The form-fitting design of the finger portions accommodate significant variety in finger sizes among users. This also has the advantage that there is less of a need to produce various sizes, reducing manufacturing costs.
In certain embodiments, several crowns are used so as to allow a user to make use of multiple nail polishes at one time.
The crown is configured to accommodate a wide range of nail polish containers of present in the market that have various shapes of base, sizes, brands, capacities, base dimensions, heights, widths, and angle of bottle. Exemplary base shapes of nail polish containers that can be accommodated by the crown include circular, square, quarter moon, oval, rectangular, triangular, and other jewel shapes. Exemplary sizes of nail polish containers that can be accommodated by the crown are mini, standard, and medium. Exemplary brands of nail polish containers that can be accommodated by the crown are Ulta, OPI, China Glaze, Nails Inc., PIXEL, Sally Beauty, Cover Girl, Sally Hansen, CND, Mineral Fusion, RUSH, ASP, Sephora, Revlon, Maybelline, NYC, Orly, Finger Paints, gelish, Nina, INM, Sinful Colors, Beauty Secrets, Cinapro, Seche, American Classics, Beauty Secrets, Nail Savvy, and FUSE. Exemplary capacities of nail polish containers that can be accommodated by the crown include 0.17-0.60 Fl. Oz. The foregoing are illustrative only. The flexible design of the crown can be configured so as to accommodate any base shape, capacity, shape, size, brand, base dimension, height, width, and angle of bottle.
While certain embodiments include two ring portions and a single crown, other variations are readily within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, a single ring variation could be employed.
The crown is preferably configured so as to facilitate the retention of nail polish containers. For instance, contoured and tapered interior shapes accommodate various bottle circumferences, heights and shapes. Slits in the crown may be employed as an opening to the crown cavity. In certain embodiments, six slits are employed, though a single slit may also be employed. Single or multiple slits in the crown allow the bottle to be tipped as the volume of nail polish diminishes or to be tipped for on-the-go hand positions. In certain embodiments, the top of the crown is textured to add additional grip that helps hold the bottle in place. Similarly, the interior base of the crown cavity may or may not be textured to offer resistance to bottle when opening.
With reference to
The disclosed holder may be manufactured in a single color, with multiple colors, or a pattern. Various applied textures, including embossing and debossing, as well as smooth surfaces may be employed. Accessories such as a leash, a hanging device, a key chain clip or other custom-style elements may be included. In certain embodiments, scents are infused in the holder's material.
Although the disclosed subject matter has been described and illustrated with respect to embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that features of the disclosed embodiments can be combined, rearranged, etc., to produce additional embodiments within the scope of the invention, and that various other changes, omissions, and additions may be made therein and thereto, without parting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.