Artificial nail

The current invention relates to an artificial nail as described in the preamble of the first claim. Artificial nails are already known from the state of the art. Known artificial nails are applied to the nail bed and for example extend over the free edge, for example to create an artificial extension of the natural nail. Other artificial nails are attached onto the nail bed of damaged natural nails as a result of, for example, nail biting, and again create the impression of an undamaged natural nail. The form of the known artificial nails is however tuned to the form, more specific the curvature, more specific the curvature of the upper surface, of the average natural nail. Therefore, the known artificial nails are less suited to be used with natural nails having a form which deviates from the average natural nail. Therefore it is the object of the current invention to provide an artificial nail which is adapted to be used with natural nails which deviate from the average nail with respect to shape, more specific curvature, more specific curvature of the upper surface.

This is achieved according to the present invention with an artificial nail showing the technical features of the characterising portion of the first claim.

Thereto, the artificial nail comprises an upper surface having a curvature which is adapted to the curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail. By adapting the curvature of the upper surface of the artificial nail to the curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail, preferably the curvature of the upper surface of the artificial nail and the upper surface of the natural nail are substantially equal, the assembly of the artificial nail and the natural nail obtain a more natural look since no longer a change in shape occurs between the upper surface of the natural nail and the upper surface of the artificial nail.

Preferably the lower surface of the artificial nail has a curvature which is adapted to, preferably substantially equal to, the

curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail. A lower surface of the artificial nail having such a curvature allows to easily place the artificial nail onto the upper surface of the natural nail. Moreover, it is avoided that the artificial nail needs to be deformed in order to obtain an as large as possible contact between the upper surface of the natural nail and the lower surface of the artificial nail. This results in a more reliable attachment between the artificial nail and the natural nail.

Other details and advantages of the artificial nail according to the invention will become apparent from the enclosed figures and description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 a shows an upper view of a preferred embodiment of the artificial nail according to the invention.

Figure 1 b shows a view in perspective of the artificial nail according to figure 1a. A natural nail comprises a nail bed which is coloured pink in a natural nail. The nail grows from a lower part of the nail bed in direction of the upper part of the nail bed. At the upper part of the nail bed, the nail bed is delimited by a free edge which is generally coloured white. The nail bed is delimited by two nail edges at the side edges. An artificial nail 1 preferably is designed to provide the natural nail with an extended look, to provide a damaged natural nail an undamaged look, to decorate the natural nail or any other reason. Hereto, the artificial nail 1 comprises a lower surface 2 which at least partly contacts a part of the upper surface of the natural nail. Opposing the lower surface 2, the artificial nail 1 comprises an upper surface 3. The upper surface 3 of the artificial nail 1 and the lower surface of the natural nail together form the upper surface of the new nail.

In the artificial nail 1 according to the invention, the lower surface 2 preferably is adapted to the specific curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail. An adapted; lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 makes an easier placing and following attachment possible. Moreover, the attachment of the artificial nail 1 to the natural nail becomes more reliable.

More preferably, the lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 is complementary to the upper surface of the natural nail so that

the lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 fits as closely as possible to the upper surface of the natural nail. A lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 which is adapted as such, makes a further improved placing and attachment of the artificial nail 1 possible and further enlarges the reliability of the attachment. Preferably, the lower surface 2 of the artificial nail

1 is adapted to be applied to upper surfaces of natural nails which have a curvature in cross direction of the natural nail, i.e. a direction which extends between the two nail edges of the natural nail, which is larger than the average natural nail. This has as a consequence that such natural nails despite their large curvature in cross direction of the natural nail can now also be provided with an artificial nail 1 , where artificial nails 1 according to the state of the art could not or at least insufficiently be mounted to these natural nails since the curvature of the lower surface of the artificial nail 1 was insufficiently adapted to the curvature of the natural nail. However, the lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 can also be adapted to be applied to the upper surfaces of natural nails which show a curvature in length direction of the natural nail, in other words in growth direction of the nail, or any other possible curvature of a natural nail which is less common than in the average natural nail. , The artificial nail 1 preferably covers only part of the nail bed of the natural nail but can also cover the entire nail bed of the natural nail. More preferably, the lower surface 2 of the artificial nail 1 covers the upper part of the nail bed and the free edge of the natural nail and the lower part of the nail bed remains visible. Preferably, the artificial nail 1 also extends over the entire width ofthe natural nail, so from nail edge to nail edge.

When the artificial nail 1 does not cover the entire nail bed, the upper surface of the artificial nail 1 preferably continuously and/or sutureless fits to the upper surface of the natural nail such that the uncovered part of the natural nail and the upper surface of the 3 of the artificial nail 1 can not be distinguished and a natural looking nail is obtained.

Since with an artificial nail 1 which is applied to cover the upper part of the nail bed and the free edge, the upper surface of the uncovered nail bed goes over into the upper surface of the artificial nail 1 , the curvature of the upper surface 3 of the artificial nail 1 preferably is adapted to

the curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail such that the combination of the natural nail with the artificial nail 1 applied to it has a look which is as natural as possible. Hereto, the curvature of the upper surface 3 of the artificial nail 1 preferably fits to the curvature of the upper surface of the natural nail. More preferably the curvature of the upper surface offers a natural look to the whole of the natural nail and the, artificial nail 1.

When prolonging natural nails with a large curvature in cross direction of the natural nail, the large curvature preferably is continuously continued over the artificial nail 1 such that a natural looking nail is obtained. This is in contrast with the result obtained with artificial nails according to the state of the art in which the curvature of the natural nail is not continued in the artificial nail 1 and due to the change in curvature at the transition of the natural nail in the artificial nail 1 an unnatural look is obtained over the whole of the natural nail and the artificial nail 1. The upper surface 3 of the artificial nail 1 can also be adapted to be applied to upper surfaces of natural nails which have a large curvature in length direction of. he natural nail, i.e. in growth direction of the nail, or any other possible curvature of a natural nail which is less common than with the average natural nail. Preferably, the upper and lower surface 2, 3 of the artificial nail are substantially parallel.

Preferably, the artificial nail 1 has straight edges

4, 5 to improve the natural look of the whole of the natural nail and the artificial nail 1 applied to it. , The artificial nail 1 has a cross-section with a curvature which is determined by the curvature of the upper and lower surface 2, 3 of the artificial nail 1. The cross-section has a width, measured between two opposing sides 4, 5 of the artificial nail 1 which extend in length direction of the artificial nail 1 , and a height measured along a direction which is perpendicular from an imaginary line interconnecting the two opposing sides 4, 5 of the artificial nail 1 and the highest point of the artificial nail 1.

A measure for the curvature of the artificial nail 1 is the ratio of the width with respect to the height of the artificial nail 1. Where in the cross-section of an average natural nail the ratio of the width of the

natural nail between the two nail edges with respect to the height of the cross- section of the nail is relatively large, the ratio of the width with respect to the height of a nail with a curvature which deviates from the average nail is relatively small. In other words: the radius of curvature of the cross-section of the artificial nail 1 for nails with a deviant curvature is shorter than the radius of curvature of existing artificial nails 1 which are tuned to natural nails having an average curvature.

In the cross-section of existing artificial nails 1 , the width of the cross-section of the artificial nails 1 is four times larger than the height of the cross-section of the artificial nails 1 , or even more. In the artificial nails 1 according to the invention the width of the cross-section of the artificial nail 1 is less than 4 times, preferably less than 3.5 times, more preferably between 0.5 and 3.5 times, more preferably between 1 and 3 times even more preferably between 1.3 and 2.7, times larger than the height of the artificial nail 1.

Preferable the curvature of the cross-section of the artificial nail 1 is substantially ellipsoid.

The cross-section of the artificial nail 1 can be substantially constant along the length direction of the artificial nail 1. Preferably, the width of the cross-section of the artificial nail 1 however becomes smaller along the length direction of the artificial nail 1 , such that the artificial nail 1 tapers, which corresponds to the natural look of a natural nail. Preferably, the height of the cross-section of the artificial nail 1 along the length of the artificial nail 1 remains substantially constant. The artificial nail 1 preferably is adapted to the dimensions of the natural nail onto which it is applied. Hereto, preferably the width and the length of the artificial nail 1 is adapted to the width and the length of the natural nail onto which it will be applied. Thus, artificial nails 1 can be made in different formats which are adapted to the different dimensions of the natural nails of the different fingers: little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb. Artificial nails 1 can also be made in different formats which are adapted to the different dimensions of the natural nails of the different formats of toes.

The artificial nail 1 can be made from any composition which is deemed appropriate by the person skilled in the art. For example, any composition which is appropriate for making artificial nails 1 according to the state of the art can be used for making artificial nails 1 according to the current invention, such as plastic.

The artificial nails 1 according to the invention can be applied on the natural nails according to any way known to the person skilled in the art. Herewith use can be made of the same methods which are known to the person skilled in the art for application of artificial nails according to the state of the art.

For application of the artificial nails 1 onto the natural nails any composition can be used which is known to the person skilled in the art to attach artificial nails 1 to natural nail.