Patent Application
20250017350
The present invention relates to improved systems, kits, and methods for the cosmetic application of artificial nails to the fingers or toes of an individual.
Artificial nails or false nails that are configured to be attached to a user's fingernails are popular substitutes for traditional nail polish applications. They can be attached relatively quickly and conveniently and do not require a traditional manicure. But artificial nails must be attached to the user's existing fingernails or nail beds, usually with a strong adhesive to keep them in place. Artificial nails that are attached with strong adhesives are not readily detached without the use of a chemical solvent. Many such adhesives and solvents can irritate a user's skin and weaken the natural nail beds or fingernails. Forced detachment often results in injury to the natural fingernail and nail bed. Further, to apply artificial nails, the surfaces of the user's natural nails must be roughened by filing, which can leave them thin and brittle.
A variety of attempts have been made to improve the application of artificial nails and reduce the damage associated with their use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,100 discloses an artificial nail and bonding to a real nail by using water to reactivate the adhesive. Several interlocking systems have been developed that use an anchoring piece that attaches to a user's own nail and interlocks with a matching artificial nail. The anchoring pieces are smaller than the artificial nail so less of the user's own nail may be subject to an adhesive or damage. Further, systems that rely on magnetic polymers coupled with magnetic nail polishes have been developed.
The present invention provides alternative systems, kits, and methods for applying artificial nails. Advantageously, the invention does not require that a user roughen or otherwise damage their own nails before using the invention. In addition, at least in some embodiments of the invention a solvent is not needed to remove artificial nails or other aspects of the invention from the user's natural nails after use. Thus, use of the invention is less likely to cause damage to the user's nails as compared to other systems and methods for applying artificial nails.
The invention provides a system for applying one or more artificial nails that comprises at least one first magnet; at least one artificial nail; at least one second magnet or metallic piece; and an adhesive. Each first magnet has a top surface and a bottom surface. Each artificial nail has an upper surface and a lower surface. The second magnet or metallic piece is attached to either the lower surface or the upper surface of an artificial nail, or more preferably the second magnet or metallic piece is embedded within an artificial nail.
In some embodiments of the invention the first magnet is a hard or permanent magnet. Preferably, the first magnet is relatively thin and flexible. Small hard, flexible magnets are used in crafting and known to skilled artisans. Skilled artisans will recognize that the first magnet may be a soft magnet as long as the second magnet is a hard or permanent magnet.
Preferably adhesive is applied to the user's own nail, and the first magnet is attached to the adhesive. In other embodiments, the adhesive is applied to the bottom surface of the first magnet, then the user attaches the bottom surface of the first magnet to user's own nail. Preferably when the adhesive is applied directly the first magnet, the adhesive is pre-applied to the bottom surface of the first magnet rather than the user applying the adhesive to the bottom surface of the first magnet.
In some embodiments applying the adhesive to the bottom surface of the first magnet rather than a user's own nail is less likely to damage or weaken the user's own nail because no solvent is necessary to remove adhesive from the user's own nail. In these embodiments the invention does not require that a user roughen or otherwise damage the surface of their own nail before applying a magnet to the natural nail.
Preferably the second magnet is a permanent magnet. The second magnet may be flexible. It is desirable that the second magnet is relatively thin so that it can be embedded within an artificial nail or attached to the lower surface of a nail without unduly raising the artificial nail too high when it is attached to the user's own nail. Suitable magnets can be a variety of shapes and sizes and function well in the invention. It is only necessary that the polarities of the first and second magnets are aligned with each other so that the magnets attract rather than repel each other. Skilled artisans will recognize that rounded magnets that attract each other are known in the art.
Other embodiments of the invention include a metallic piece that comprises one or more metals that is or are sufficiently attracted to the first magnet to attach an artificial nail to the first magnet. Preferably the metallic piece is embedded within an artificial nail. Alternatively, the metallic piece may be attached to either the upper or lower surface of the artificial nail. The metallic piece may be a variety of shapes or sizes or may even comprise multiple small pieces or fragments. If multiple fragments of metal comprise the metallic piece (or strip) then it is only necessary that sufficient multiple fragments are used so that the artificial nail attaches to the user's own nail with sufficient magnetic attraction to hold the artificial nail in place.
The invention also provides kits for applying one or more artificial nails to a user's own nails. Kits of the invention comprise a plurality of first magnets; a plurality of artificial nail assemblies; and an adhesive. Each artificial nail assembly includes one or more artificial nails having an upper surface and a lower surface; a second magnet or a metallic piece that is attached to the lower surface or the upper surface of each artificial nail, or more preferably the second magnet or metallic piece is embedded within each artificial nail in each artificial nail assembly.
In addition, the invention provides methods of applying an artificial nail to a user's own nail. Methods of the invention comprise (a) applying an adhesive to an exterior surface of a user's nail or to a bottom surface of a first magnet; (b) adhering the bottom surface of the first magnet to the exterior surface of the user's nail; and (c) attaching an artificial nail having an upper surface and a lower surface to the first magnet. A second magnet or a metallic strip is attached the lower surface or the upper surface of the artificial nail, or preferably the second magnet or metallic strip is embedded within the artificial nail, or a combination thereof.
Those familiar with the application of the artificial nails will recognize that, while a first magnet can be attached anywhere on a user's own nail, it is preferable that the first magnet is attached at or near the base of the user's own nail.
The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description presented herein. Unless specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The invention provides improved systems, kits, and methods for attaching artificial or false nails to a person's fingernails or toenails. Advantageously, the invention allows a user to quickly change from one nail style to another without having to apply additional adhesive or use an artificial nail (e.g. a press-on nail) to which an adhesive has been applied. Further, the present invention may cause less damage to a person's natural nail because the natural nail does not need to be abraded prior to applying the invention or require that an adhesive is applied directly to the natural nail. Nor does the invention require the use of an artificial nail that includes a mechanism that interlocks with another mechanism that is attached to the user's own nail.
Current systems for keeping artificial nails in place rely on adhesives. These adhesives need to be quite strong to keep the artificial nails in place. As a result, these artificial nails need to be removed with relatively strong solvents, which can harm the user's own nails. In contrast, the present invention relies primarily on magnetism to keep an artificial nail in place. By using magnetism, less adhesive can be used, and the adhesives that are used do not necessarily require a strong solvent, or any solvent, to remove an artificial nail from a user's own nail. Further, if artificial nails of the invention are forcibly removed from a user's own nails, the probability of injury is lessened as compared to artificial nails that have been glued to the user's own nails.
A variety of suitable small magnets are known in the crafting arts. Advantageously, these magnets can be a variety of shapes and sizes and can also be flexible. Preferred magnets are permanent magnets that are shaped so that their polarities do not impede their attachment to each other. For example, round or oval magnets can be easily attached to each other; whereas horseshoe or rectangularly shaped magnets may need to have their polarities oriented to each other so that the magnets attract rather than repel each other. Suitable magnets can be 1-5 mm in thickness. Preferred magnets are less than 2 mm thick. More preferably, the magnets are less than 1 mm thick. Those familiar with the crafting arts will recognize that an adhesive can be applied to one side of these magnets without adversely affecting their magnetism.
Those familiar with magnets will also recognize that the strength, or magnetic pull, of a magnet can vary and can be affected by the material(s) from which the magnet is made. It is expected that magnets over a range of strengths or grades that are known in the art can be used in the invention. It is only necessary that the magnet(s) chosen for use in the invention have sufficient strength to keep an artificial nail in place as intended and still be removed without damaging the user's own nail(s).
Additionally, while hard or permanent magnets are preferred for use throughout the invention, it will be appreciated that a hard or permanent magnet can be paired with a soft magnet and used in the invention as long as the hard or permanent magnet has sufficient magnetic strength so that when it is combined with the soft magnet the invention functions as intended. For example, some commercial nail polishes may have sufficient metallic fragments included in them so that the nail polish can act as a soft magnet in the invention.
Herein, the term “hard magnet” or “permanent magnet” refers to a magnet with high saturation magnetization that is characterized by high coercivity and once magnetize is difficult to demagnetize. In contrast, the term “soft magnet” refers to a magnet that has low coercivity and is comparatively easy to magnetize and demagnetize.
In using the invention, the first magnet 2 is applied to the top surface of a clean, dry user's natural nail 1 or to an adhesive 3 that has been applied to the top surface of a clean, dry user's natural nail 1. See
In an alternative embodiment, a metallic piece 5 or multiple metallic pieces 5 (or fragments) are embedded into the artificial nail 4 or coated onto the upper or lower surface of the artificial nail 4. Sec
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this invention belongs at the time of filing. Terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. The meaning and scope of terms should be clear; however, in the event of any latent ambiguity, definitions provided herein take precedent over any dictionary or extrinsic definition. Further, unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Herein, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the term “including”, as well as other forms such as “includes” and “included” is not limiting. As used herein, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63526501 | Jul 2023 | US |
