METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING NAILS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to personal cosmetic devices and more particularly to a method and apparatus for enhancing nails.

[0002] Many devices and methods exist for improving the appearance of a person's fingernails and toenails, including buffing and cuticle trimming, nail painting, and artificial nail installation. Artificial nail enhancement techniques, for example, using plastic nail forms that are essentially glued to a person's nail bed have long been used. However, such techniques suffer from a number of shortcomings, including high installation costs, nonuniformity of appearance due to variations in installer skill, yellowing of the artificial nail from exposure to ambient ultraviolet light, and glue failure after just 1-3 weeks of use. Moreover, remedying glue failure on conventional artificial nails is expensive as it involves reinstalling the failed nail from the beginning. Therefore, a continual need exists for affordable nail enhancement procedures and devices that eliminate the shortcomings of conventional artificial nails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A method for enhancing nails may comprise the steps of applying a monomer to a nail bed region of a nail shield and attaching the nail shield onto the nail to be enhanced. The monomer is capable of keeping the nail shield attached to the nail to be enhanced for a significant period of time. The nail shield may comprise a ridge formed on the bottom surface of the nail shield separating a free edge region from a nail bed region. The ridge may be configured to provide a smooth delineation between the free edge and the nail bed region and may also prevent a liquid monomer mixture placed upon the free edge region from transgressing onto the nail bed region and vice versa.

[0004] A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the following drawings in which:

[0006] Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a nail shield apparatus of the present invention;

[0007] Fig. 2 illustrates a front elevational view of the nail shield of Fig. 1;

[0008] Fig. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the nail shield of Fig. 1 ;

[0009] Fig. 4 illustrates a right side view showing the free edge of the nail shield of Fig.

1; [0010] Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom surface of the nail shield of

Fig. 1;

[0011] Fig. 6 illustrates the step of coloring the free edge region of the bottom surface of the nail shield shown in Fig. 5;

[0012] Fig. 7 illustrates the step of applying an adhesive to the nail bed region of the bottom surface of the nail shield shown in Fig. 5;

[0013] Fig. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the nail shield of Fig. 1 after being attached to the nail being enhanced;

[0014] Fig. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the nail shield of Fig. 8 after the step of trimming and shaping the free edge of the nail shield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Turning now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, there is illustrated in Figs. 1 - 5 nail shield 10 embodying details that form the present invention. As shown in Figs. 1-5, nail shield 10 comprises top surface 12, bottom surface 14, free edge 16, two opposing side edges 18, 19 and cuticle edge 20. In addition, nail shield 10 comprises free edge region 24 located on bottom surface 14, and nail bed region 22 located on bottom surface 14. Ridge 26, if present, may also be located on bottom surface 14 and may lie between free edge region 24 from nail bed region 22. Ridge 26 may be prefabricated to substantially match the profile and/or curvature of free edge 36 of a person's nail, as shown in Figs. 8-9. Ridge 26 may extend above bottom surface 14 to form a raised barrier of sufficient height to prevent a liquid monomer mixture from transgressing from free edge region 24 to nail bed region 22, or from nail bed region 22 to free edge region 24. [0016] Top surface 12 of nail shield 10 is convex while bottom surface 14 is concave and offset from top surface 12, as shown in Fig. 4. Offset 28 may vary from nail shield to nail shield and within or across each individual nail shield to best simulate a human nail once attached to a wearer. For example, either or both of top surface 12 and bottom surface 14 may be tapered or feathered to form relatively thin cuticle edge 20 to permit cuticle edge 20 to be inserted underneath the cuticle bordering a person's individual nail. Likewise side edges 18, 19 of nail shield 10 may be designed to transition or blend neatly into the cuticle bordering a person's nail immediately upon attachment of nail shield 10, without requiring the topical application of products, such as acrylics, to artfully form the transition. Free edge 16, however, may be relatively thicker than cuticle edge 20 to minimize the potential for fracture of nail shield 10 arising from use by a wearer. Top surface 12 and bottom surface 14 may each be substantially smooth to provide a glass-like appearance.

[0017] Nail shield 10 may be fabricated in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate the actual shape and size of a particular wearer's nail. In particular, nail shield 10 may be fabricated using a transparent material, such as an acrylic, that is relatively thinner and more flexible than conventional artificial nails so as to better simulate the appearance of a person's natural nails and to minimize fracture of nail shield 10. In this way, nail shield 10 may appear to be a person's natural nail once installed.

[0018] An installer of nail shield 10 may create the appearance of salon-fabricated "French" nails, in which only the nail tips are painted white, without the expense incurred for installing conventional artificial nails. To reduce installation expense, the present invention eliminates the step used in conventional nail installation of applying and blending an acrylic-type resin, such as methyl methacrylate monomer, on the top surface of the nail to bridge and transition the artificial nail shield into the cuticle region surrounding the natural nail.. [0019] The present invention also provides improved artificial nail wear life due to improved adhesion of nail shield 10 over conventionally installed artificial nails. For example, an installer of conventional artificial nails typically uses a cyanoacrylate adhesive to glue an artificial nail to the nail being enhanced. But it is known that general use as well as ambient ultraviolet light degrades the adhesion properties of cyanoacrylate to the point of glue failure, typically within 1-3 weeks. The present invention solves this problem by substituting methyl methacrylate monomer for cyanoacrylate as the "glue" underneath nail shield 10, which, as has been found, is capable of maintaining adhesion of nail shield 10 for at least 3 weeks. Therefore, the present invention uses a known chemical in a new way to produce unexpected results so as to reduce the number of items needed to install artificial nails as well as to improve the mechanical adhesion performance of artificial nails. To further improve

adhesion performance of the methyl methacrylate monomer, nail shield 10 may also comprise a transparent material having ultraviolet light blocking properties. [0020] As will be understood by those of skill in the art, and as particularly illustrated in Figs. 6-9, to create the appearance of "French" nails, an installer of the present invention may first mix together a white colorant, typically in the form of a powder, with a small amount of methyl methacrylate monomer to form first tinted monomer mixture 30. The installer may then apply a small amount known in the art as "a ball" of first tinted monomer mixture 30 to free edge region 24 located on bottom surface 14 of nail shield 10, as best shown in Fig. 6. First tinted monomer mixture 30 may be somewhat inviscid to flow across free edge region 24 to side edges 18, 19, free edge 16, and ridge 24, though one skilled in the art may also disperse first tinted monomer mixture 30 using a nail brush, or functional equivalent, to insure that the free edge region 24 is covered to the extent desired by the artificial nail installer. Though ridge 26 need not exist whatsoever on nail shield 10, if present, ridge 26 may provide a smooth delineation between free edge region 24 and nail bed region 22 to simulate the wearer's natural free edge boundary without a nail installer having to manually recreate the delineation. Ridge 26 may also prevent first tinted monomer mixture 30 from transgressing onto nail bed region 22. First tinted monomer mixture 30 may then be permitted to dry. As one skilled in the art would appreciate, nail shield 10 may also be prefabricated to include first tinted monomer mixture 30, or other colorant, from the factory. In addition, it is not necessary

[0021] As shown in Fig. 7, an installer of the present invention may then mix together a flesh-toned colorant typically in the form of a powder with a small amount of methyl methacrylate monomer to form second tinted monomer mixture 32. In this way, color matching of second tinted monomer mixture 32 to the wearer's actual nail bed color is easily achieved. However, one skilled in the art would appreciate that nail shield 10

may also be prefabricated at the factory to include one of a variety of shades of second tinted monomer mixture 32 or other colorant. The installer may then select nail shield 10 having pre-tinted nail bed region 22 that best approximates the natural nail bed color of the nail to be enhanced. In this way, nail shield 10 may easily be prepared for adhesion to a nail to be enhanced using familiar "peel and stick" methods or by applying an uncolored monomer to nail bed region 22 at the time of installation. [0022] One method of installing nail shield 10 is shown in Figs. 7-8. For example, once second tinted monomer mixture 32 has been prepared, the installer may apply a small amount known in the art as "a ball" of second tinted monomer mixture 32 to nail bed region 22 located on bottom surface 14 of nail shield 10, then press nail bed region 22 against the nail to be enhanced while simultaneously inserting cuticle edge 20 underneath cuticle 34. Preferably, ridge 26 adjoins free edge 36 of the nail to be enhanced. To insure that a solid bond is achieved, the installer may press and slide against top surface 12 in various radial, lateral, or transverse directions to disperse second monomer mixture across nail bed region 22 to the extent desired by the nail installer and to squeeze out any trapped air bubbles. Alternatively, second monomer mixture 32 may initially be dispersed using a nail brush, or functional equivalent, across nail bed region 22 to the extent desired by the nail installer before proceeding to the steps of installing nail shield 10 to the nail to be enhanced and squeezing out any trapped air bubbles.

[0023] Next, as shown in Fig. 9, the installer may then trim and shape free edge 16 to achieve a fully enhanced "French"-styled nail. An ultraviolet topcoat protectant (not shown) may then be applied over colored free edge region 24. Of course, first tinted monomer mixture 30 and second tinted monomer mixture 32 may themselves include an ultraviolet protectant introduced at the factory, by the installer, or as part of a colorant or a monomer.

[0024] The present invention is particularly well suited for creating the appearance of salon-fabricated "French" nails or natural-looking nails at a fraction of the time used by installers of conventional artificial nails. However, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that nail shield 10 and the methods of the present invention may also be suitable for creating enhanced nails having nail polish applied across top surface 12 without suffering from the shortcomings of conventionally-applied artificial nails, such as premature glue failure. Alternatively, nail shield colorants in an infinite variety of designs or colors may be applied by the installer, such as by common airbrush techniques, or at the factory to bottom surface 14 of nail shield 10 so as to be visible through transparent nail shield 10. In this way, solid nail color or other design as may be applied to nail shield 10 may be substantially protected from chipping, peeling, and erosion that may occur during ordinary use, while nail shield 10 may be fastened to a person's natural nail using a substantially transparent monomer to provide a wearer with unsurpassed artificial nail wear life. Thus, overall appearance and longevity is improved for any form of enhanced nail using the present invention as compared to conventionally-applied artificial nails.

[0025] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.