GB2519591A

GB2519591A - Fingernail painting and application aide

Info

Publication number: GB2519591A
Application number: GB1318979.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Mead; Sarah Hall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-26
Filing date: 2013-10-26
Publication date: 2015-04-29
Also published as: GB201318979D0

Abstract

A fingernail painting and application aide is a device that is held in either hand and holds fingers and thumb in place, using shaped finger housings which are rounded or bevelled to their edges. The device to aids the application of nail varnish or other nail processes.

Description

PATENT APPLICATiON

OF

GARRY MEAD AND SARAH HALL

FOR

FINGERNAIL PAINTING AND APPLICATION AIDE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the painting of finger nails using known varnishes and methods for their decoration and protection, presenting an aide for this process.

Background

The use of nail varnishes or decorative solutions to protect and present finger and toe nails at their best is known and dates back many years. Traditionally, nail polish started in clear, red, pink, purple, and black. Since that time, many new colors and techniques have developed, resulting in nail polish which can be found in an extremely diverse variety of colors. Beyond solid colors, nail polish has also developed an array of other designs and colors, such as nail polish stamps, crackled, magnetic, nail polish strips and stickers. Fake rhinestones are also often applied. Some types of polish are advertised to cause nail growth, make nails stronger, prevent nails from breaking, cracking and splitting, and to stop nail biting. Nail polish may be applied as one of several components in a manicure. French manicures are manicures designed to resemble natural nails, and are characterized by natural pink base nails with white tips, making it one of the first popular and well known color schemes with nail polish. The tips of the nails are painted white while the rest of the nails are polished in a pink or a suitable nude shade. French manicures may have originated in 18th-century Paris and were popular up the I 920s and I 930s. Social media has given rise to the nail art culture that allows users to share their pictures about their nail art.

WWD reports hail polish sales hit a record $768 million in the U.S. in 2012, a 32% gain over 2011, despite a cluttered market that seemingly sees a new launch each week.

Several new polishes and related products came on to the market in the second decade of the, 21st century as part of the explosion of nail art, such as nail stickers (either made of nail polish or plastic), "crackle" nail polish, magnetic nail polish, and nail decorations.

Nail polish originated in China, dating back to 3000 BC-Around 600 BC during the Zhou Dynasty, the royal house preferred the colors gold and silver. However, it would eventually make the transition to red and black. During the Ming Dynasty, nail polish was often made from a mixture including beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and gum Arabic.

In Egypt, the lower classes would wear pale colors and the high society red. By the turn of the 9th century, nails were tinted with scented red oils, and polished or buffed. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, people pursued a polished rather than painted look by massaging tinted powders and creams into their nails, then buffing them shiny. One such polishing product sold around this time was Oral's Hyglo nail polish paste. After the creation of automobile paint, Cutex (TRADEMARK) produced the first modem nail polish in 1917. Later the Charles Revson Company (later Revlon -TRADEMARK) produced their first nail polish in 1932. Once nail polish was refined, it was often used in the place of gloves to cover up the grime underneath finger and toe nails.

During the application of nail varnish or other liquids, the fingers of the subjected hand tend to move and may come into contact with each other. This can affect the result or finish and even render the nail application unsuitable. This may also apply to any form of nail dressing including false or replacement nails or attachments. When applying the nail varnish themselves the user tends to require the fingers to be static during application to aide application and afterwards the fingers would benefit from being held in place during drying periods and being prevented from coming in contact with each other.

The present invention aims to provide a solution to this.

Prior Art

Accordingly patent applications have been filed to provide general solutions, including the following: Patent Application ref: KR200920088293 Discloses a device that is applied to individual fingers to act as a cover or shield to the nail as it dries, to prevent it from being compromised or coming in contact with a third party surface.

Great Britain patent application ref: GB6288021 (HOWDEN) Discloses a method and device onto which finger can be located to allow a stencil to ensure that naN varnish is applied more evenly. This device concerns itself moreover with the accuracy or neatness of which the nail varnish or similar liquid is applied.

United States patent ref: US6085756 (SEXTON) Discloses a method of individual devices being applied to each nail in turn to allow support for the nail during the application of varnishes or similar. This also provides a guide for the applications neatness and to potentially improve finished results.

United States patent ref: US5901 714 (BENKART) Discloses a device that is a nail polish template for the improved finish during application and provides a shield or guide as to where the liquid nail varnish should be applied.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided a regimented method for holding the fingers of a hand in equal distance from each other in a comfortable manner during the application of nail varnish, nail replacements, extensions or furniture. This method also provides suitable support and seating for the thumb of both right and left hands using the same device.

The fingers are seated or held between protruding areas from a main body of the device. There are four U' shaped undulations shaped to one end of the device forming areas into which the fingers are placed. The seating areas for the fingers have tapered, bevelled or rounded edges that provide a more suitable feeling of comfort when in use.

The fingers may be seated in a number of ways but a suggested position is so the nails are clearly accessible once in place. This would involve the PIP joint of each finger between the proximal phalanx and the middle phalanx being positioned on the optimum edge of the undulation for each, to the tapered or bevelled edge. The remainder of each finger is then curved to form a semi-fisted shape, with the thumb residing to the side in either a cutaway portion or inserted through a hole to the side of the device at a

suitable location.

Once all fingers are in place and the thumb is housed, the gentle clutching action holds the device within the palm area and under the fingers and thumb and the nails are facing the user.

This is then able to hold all fingers and thumb in a semi-static more comfortable position for the application of nail varnish or nail furniture with the opposing hand.

As the individual evenly spaced fingers are in position and seated within the undulation shape formed by providing four finger or digit locations the fingers are unabte to move as freely as they would have been if the hand was simply being held in place using no device, this is where the possible touching of wet nail varnish or areas that are not dry may occur.

It may also be stated that by having the finger seated in this more static way, the application may be more rapid and less time consuming, therefore a benefit to commercial nail applications may be suggested when large numbers of individuals seek nail work throughout the day and time is of an essence. The user of the device may also present their nails, once in place, to a third party to apply the coatings or fixtures. As the device is of a shaped flat nature the ability to use it for both left and right hand application is evident. If the device is turned over with the opposite side facing the user, the finger undulations; that are provided at suitable distance from each other and to accommodate the common varying angles of fingers or digits on a hand, may provide seating for the opposing set of digits and the thumb. Therefore the device is ambidextrous in use.

A suitable material for manufacture would be a variant of plastics or rubber formulations thEt preferably provide a more rigid or slightly flexing plane' for the main body shape and is of comfort during close and continued usage with fingers.

The material must also be fully resistant and none reactive to nail varnish, adhesives or acetones. A rounded finish to all edges of the device would be recommended and a generally curved or rounded appearance in the design is also important to assist with comfort and eae of use as well as overall aesthetic appearances.

As there is generally an area of the device that is available, residing in the palm area moreover, the use of this space for decoration, company names or product names is possible.

The colouration of the device is also unlimited in its presentation and may include all known or emeçging colour options as well as opaque or transparencies therein. The use of applied decorative effects within the devices outer or inner surface material such as glitter or luminous colourings can also be advised.

The device may be made to be reused or disposed of after repeated or temporary usage. This would possibly determine the type of material from which it would be made. For example, a disposable version may be made of a lower cost recyclable material, cardboard or pulp based variant. Wherein the more permanent reusable option being of a durable plastic or similar component as mentioned previously.

The shapes of the device will vary and providing provision is made to house the fingers and thumb suitably within that overall shape and it is able to seat into all general hand sizes, it may be produced of unlimited desired forms including; for example; a character or animal shape.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show the finger nail painting and application aide Figures 2 show the finger nail painting and application aide being used Figures 3 show the finger nail painting and application aide with a thumb seating opening Figures 4 show the finger nail painting and application aide with a thumb seating cutaway

Detailed description of figures

A preferred embodiment of the invention would be a body 1 being of varying shapes to suit production preference being made of any suitably known or emerging materials for temporary or repeated use. Finger housings 2, as shown in Figure 1 provide spaces of a U' shaped nature to the upper outer edge, shaped to suitably seat fingers. A rounded or bevelled edge 3 is provided to each of the finger housings 2 to provide comfort and aid filling. Forming a repeated undulation pattern to this upper portion of the device are finger housing shaping 4, as shown in Figure 1, that are of opposite juncture to those of 2 but of similar proportion in extent and width.

A thumb area 5 is positioned to the left side of the device on a left handed version and to the right on a right handed version. Figure 1 shows a left handed version only. This cutaway provides a seating for the thumb and a thumb seating flange 6, is optionally provided, as shown in Figure 1, preventing the thumb from moving when in use.

Once in use a hand area 7 which is located to the lower bottom edge of the device is resting on the inner hand or palm area and is extended into the surface area 8 of the body 1, as shown to form a shape therein.

This device is held in the hand, as shown in Figure 2. The body 1A, as shown is positioned within the hand palm and fingers are seated 9 as is the thumb 10. Between the fingers spacing 12 is created in a uniformed pattern as all fingers are aligned by holding the device.

The user may then use a known nail brush 11 to apply chosen nail varnishes or other finishes including nail furniture whilst the hand with its thumb and fingers are held in a

more suitable way.

If this left handed device is turned over so the rear side, not shown, is facing forward and the thumb area 5 is located to the right, it may be used on the opposing hand in the same way.

Figure 3 shows an alternate shape I B of which there may be many desired variants which has a thumb seating hole as an alternative to the thumb area 5 and flange 6. The thumb would be inserted through the hole 13, as shown in Figure 3 and the fingers located within the housings 2B.

Figure 4 shows a design with a similar form to Figure 3 but having a thumb area instead of a complete through hole located to the device.

Claims

Claims 1. A fingernail painting and application aide holds fingers in position whilst nail varnish is applied to corresponding nails.
2. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in claim 1 holds fingers and thumb in an even position whilst nail varnish or other materials are applied, wherein they are unable to come in contact with each other during application and drying.
3. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in claim 2 wherein fingernails are prevented from touching until dried and the nails are presented to the user.
4. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in claim 3 has shaped openings to seat fingers and thumb, which are bevelled.
5. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in claim 4 may have a hole through which the thumb is inserted.
6. A fingernail painting and application aide wherein the shape may be of varying types to include novelty forms, to include animals or characters.
7. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in claim 6 wherein the device may be of varying shapes and colours and may be finished to include names and company or product wording and logos.
8. A fingernail painting and application aide as claimed in all previous claims is a device that is held in either hand and holds fingers and thumb in place to aide the application of nail varnish or other nail processes, having varying desired shapes, colours, materials and design to its overall body.