US2816556A - Manicuring apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 17, 1957 B. WEBER ETAL ,Y 2,815,556

MANICURING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 195e .IN V EN TOR.

BERTHA WEBER DONALD NEOLA- United States Patent O MANICURING APPARATUS Bertha Weber and Donald Neola, Culver City, Calif.

Application June 11, 1956, Serial No. 590,521

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-75) This invention relates to manicure apparatus and has as its general object to provide an apparatus which can be used by a customer, without the assistance of a manicurist, in finishing operations following a manicure given by the operator, including cleaning of the nails and cuticle with a cleaning solution utilizing a brushing operation, oiling the finger nails and cuticle; and massaging the cuticle.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which such finishing operations may be effected with the palm of the hand resting on the apparatus in a fixed position and only the fingers being moved.

Further object is to provide such apparatus embody ing separate container wells for cleaning fluid and oil, both positioned directly beneath the hand when the palm is lixedly supported on the apparatus as above mentioned.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus wherein scrubbing brushes and a massaging device are likewise arranged immediately below the fingers of the hand and supported when the fixed position of the hand, mentioned above, obtains.

Further object is to provide a manicuring apparatus wherein an annular lip member of soft rubber or equivalent is utilized for the dual functions of providing a massaging device and also providing an inclosure wall for the well in which one of the manicuring liquids is contained.

Fig. l is a plan view o-f a manicure apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on the line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown v therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a manicuring apparatus including, in general, a body, preferably of molded plastic material, indicated generally at A, a series of brush units, indicated generally at B, and a wall element C of a relatively soft, yielding material such as synthetic rubber or an equivalent synthetic resin plastic material, which is inset into the body A.

The container body A includes a fiat base portion 5, for resting on a table or other support, a rim wall portion 6, generally of V-shape, defining three sides of a horseshoe shaped basin 7 for cleaning fluid; a sloping tail section 8 at its rear end, the rear extremity of which is as high or higher than the rim wall 6 in the lateral portions thereof, a downwardly and inwardly sloping seat 9 being defined by the upper surface of tail section S; a horizontal seat section 10 at the lower extremity of sloping seat 9 and extending forwardly into the area ern* braced by basin 7; and a bottom wall 11, forwardly of the seat section 10, which provides the bottom for basin 7.

At its forward end, body A embodies al1-extended portion 12 having a peripheral wall 13 and partitions ice 14 collectively defining a series of pockets 15 in which bottles of nail polish and the like may be retained.

Inner wall section C comprises a body strip 16 of soft flexible material, having a base flange section 17 inset into a T-slot 18 in bottom section 11 of body A and having at its upper edge a tapered lip 19 against which the customer may rub the cuticle for massaging the same. The T-slot 13 is in undulating form and the lip 19 is correspondingly undulating to provide scallops 20 for cradling the nail areas of the fingers during a massaging operation, and thereby engaging such nail areas throughout the full width of the fingers.

inner wall section C is of G-shape, with rear ends inset into notches 21 in the seat section 10 at the forward corners thereof. Inner wall section C and the forward wall of seat section 10 thus cooperate to define a central wall 22 for massaging oil, as Well as providing a massaging lip 19.

Seat section lil is of trapezoidal form in plan, having side walls that extend diagonally and outwardly to the rear from the notches 21, so as to define a rearwardly projecting arm 23 of basin 7 and providing maximum volume for basin 7.

The brush element B may comprise three or more sections each including a back 24- that is removably inset into an elongated recess 2S in the inner face of rim Wall section 6, and a series of bristle tufts 26 mounted in and projecting from the back section 24.

The invention provides for the removal of the brush sections for replacement purposes.

The hand of a user is indicated in phantom in Fig. 2 by the broken lines. The palm of the hand, indicated at 27, is adapted to rest on the seat 10 While the wrist is comfortably supported by the inclined seat 9. The fingers, indicated at 29, are thus supported directly above the basin 7 and well 22, and may be spread outwardly and forwardly for contact with bristle tufts 26 or may be brought together, swung rearwardly and dipped into the Well 22, then spread apart slightly to bring the nail areas thereof into contact with massaging lip 19.

In the use of the apparatus, the user may dip ends of lingers into the cleaning solution in basin 7, with the finger tips resting on bottom 11, may then slide the fingers forwardly to bring the nails 30 into contact with bristle tufts 26. The brush sections are set at an angle, so that bristle tufts 26 are inclined upwardly and toward the center of the apparatus, and are positioned at a height such that the tips of the bristle tufts will contact the upper extremities of the nails of a person of normal finger size when the finger tips are resting on bottom 11. This facilitates the brushing operation wherein the customer may then raise the fingers until the tips thereof register with the brush tufts 26 and may then lower the fingers until the finger tips contact the bottom 11, repeating this operation as many times as desired.

When the nails and cuticle have been sulciently brushed and cleaned, they may be dried and then the fingers may be curled rearwardly and upwardly, lifted over the massaging lip 19, and then dipped into the oil in well 22 while thus curled rearwardly. By sliding them forwardly, fitting them into scallops 20 and raising and lowering the fingers, the user may massage the cuticle against the massaging lip 19 which yields suiiiciently to conform to the o cross sectional contour of the nail and cuticle areas. In this operation the fingers are tilted in upward and forward directions (with the finger tips curled under and projecting rearwardly) so that the cuticle areas may satisfactorily Contact the lip 19.

Throughout both operations, the palm and wrist of the hand are rested upon seats 10 and 9 respectively. This not only rests the hand during the operation but also positions the hand so that the fingers may be manipulated in basin 7 and well 22 and against brush element B and massaging element C respectively, without the necessity for watching the operation.

We c lairn:

l. In a. manicuring apparatus: a molded body including a base section having a yportion defining a bottom, a rim section extending around the forward portion of the body and a tail section constituting an extension of the respective side portions of the rim section at the rear end of the body, said tail section providing a supporting rest for a users wrist; an inner wall section of relatively soft yieldable material inset into said basin section and spaced inwardly from said rim section to define a C-shaped basin for a treatment liquid; a seat section projecting forwardly from said tail section and providing a seat for the palm of the hand, said inner wall section being of C.shape and having rear ends attached and sealed to the forward extremity of said seat section, said inner wall section and seat section both projecting upwardly from said bottom and cooperatively defining within the embrace of said inner wall section, a well for another treatment liquid, said inner wall section having at its upper extremity a resilient lip for cuticle massaging and being so spaced radially from said seat as to provide for proper presentation of the cuticle areas of the fingertips against said massaging lip when the fingers are curled with the fingertips projecting rearwardly over said lips, and so that the fingertips may be shifted from positions dipped into said Well to positions in which the cuticle areas rest against said lips while the users wrist and palm remain in fixed engagement with said rest and seat.

2. A manicuring apparatus as defined in claim 1, including brush tufts anchored in said rim section at the forward extremity of said body and projecting rearwardly over said basin, for brushing of the finger nails.

3. In a manicuring apparatus: a molded body including a base section having a portion defining a bottom, a rim section extending around the forward portion of the body and a tail section constituting an extension of the respective side portions of the rim section at the rear end of the body, said tail section being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and providing a supporting rest for a users wrist; an inner wall section spaced inwardly from said rim section to define a C-shaped basin for a treatment liquid; a seat section projecting forwardly from said tail section and providing a seat for the palm of the hand, said inner wall section being of C-shapc and having rear ends attached and sealed to the forward extremity of said seat section, said inner wall section and seat sec tion both projecting upwardly from said bottom and cooperatively defining within the embrace of said inner Wall section, a well for another treatment liquid, said inner wall section having at its upper extremity a resilient lip for cuticle massaging, and being so spaced radially from said seat as to provide for proper presentation of the cuticle areas of the fingertips against said massaging lip when the fingers are curled with the fingertips projecting rearwardly over said lips, and so that the fingertips may be shifted from positions dipped into said Well to positions in which the cuticle areas rest against said lips while the users wrist and palm remain in fixed engagement with said rest and seat.

4. In a manicuring apparatus: a molded body including a base section having a portion defining a bottom, a rim section extending around the forward portion of the body and a tail section constituting an extension of the respective side portions of the rim section at the rear end of the body, said tail section being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and providing a supporting rest for a users wrist; an inner wall section spaced inwardly from said rim section to define a C-shaped basin for a treatment liquid; a seat section extending forwardly from said tail section and providing a horizontal seat for the palm of the hand, said inner wall section consisting in a strip of relatively soft yieldable material having a marginal contour of C-shape and having rear ends attached and sealed to the forward extremity of said seat section and a lower margin attached and sealed to said bottom, said inner wall section and seat section both projecting upwardly from said bottom and cooperatively defining within the embrace of said inner wall section, a well for another treatment liquid, generally concentric with said basin, and brush tufts anchored in said rim section at the forward extremity of said body and projecting rearwardly over said basin, for brushing of the finger nails, said inner wall section having an upper edge defining a resilient massaging lip extending along said marginal contour, said inner wall section and brush tufts being so spaced radially from said seat and from one another as to provide for proper presentation of the fingernails to said brush tufts when the wrist and palm are engaged against said rest and seat respectively with the fingers depending into said basin, and for proper presentation of the cuticle areas of the fingertips against said massaging lip when the fingers are curled upwardly and rearwardly from said depending position with the fingertips inclined rearwardly and downwardly over said lip, while the users wrist and palm remain in fixed engagement with said rest and seat respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,169,990 Preve Aug. 15, 1939 2,580,981 Webster Ian. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,858 Canada Mar. 6, 1951

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