U.S. patent application number 10/863562 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-08 for systems and methods for artificial nail.
Invention is credited to Chang, Sung Yong.
Application Number | 20050268931 10/863562 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34940535 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050268931 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang, Sung Yong |
December 8, 2005 |
Systems and methods for artificial nail
Abstract
Systems and methods for sizing and applying artificial nails. At
least one characteristic of at least one artificial nail may be
selected using a plurality of nail sizing elements. Each of the
nail sizing elements may correspond to at least one characteristic
of at least one artificial nail for attachment to a bodily
extension. The artificial nails are preferably provided separate
and apart from the nail sizing elements.
Inventors: |
Chang, Sung Yong; (Roslyn
Heights, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
250 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10177
US
|
Family ID: |
34940535 |
Appl. No.: |
10/863562 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/200 ;
132/73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 31/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/200 ;
132/073 |
International
Class: |
A45D 029/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A system for obtaining at least one first characteristic of at
least one artificial nail, comprising: a plurality of nail sizing
elements, wherein each of the elements comprises at least one
second characteristic, and corresponds to the at least one first
characteristic of at least one artificial nail adapted to be
attached to a bodily extension.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the artificial nail comprises a
nail tip.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the artificial nail comprises a
full-coverage artificial nail.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first
characteristic of the at least one artificial nail substantially
corresponds to at least one third characteristic of the bodily
extension.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bodily extension comprises a
finger.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the bodily extension comprises a
toe.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a curvature along the length of the
artificial nail.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a width extending across the artificial
nail.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a length of the artificial nail.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one artificial nail
comprises a molded plastic material.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the artificial nail is provided
separately from the nail sizing elements, and selected based on the
at least one second characteristic.
12. A method for obtaining at least one first characteristic of at
least one artificial nail, comprising providing a plurality of nail
sizing elements, wherein each of the elements comprises at least
one second characteristic and corresponds to at least one first
characteristic of at least one artificial nail for attachment to a
bodily extension.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the artificial nail comprises a
nail tip.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the artificial nail comprises a
full-coverage artificial nail.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining at least
one nail sizing element that substantially matches the bodily
extension.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising obtaining at least
one artificial nail that corresponds to the at least one nail
sizing element and attaching the at least one artificial nail to
the bodily extension.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one first
characteristic of the at least one artificial nail substantially
corresponds to at least one third characteristic of the bodily
extension.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the bodily extension comprises
a finger.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein the bodily extension comprises
a toe.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a curvature along the length of the
artificial nail.
21. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a width extending across the artificial
nail.
22. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one first
characteristic comprises a length of the artificial nail.
23. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one artificial
nail comprises a molded plastic material.
24. The method of claim 12, wherein the artificial nail is separate
from the nail sizing elements and selected based on the second
characteristics.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/383,383, filed Mar. 7, 2003, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to artificial nails. More
particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods
for obtaining certain characteristics of artificial or natural
nails, which are used for later applications of the artificial
nails.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Artificial nails are generally used to enhance the cosmetic
appearance of fingers and/or toes, and may also be used to replace
missing or damaged natural nails. Typically, artificial nails can
be used to obtain a desired nail length and/or shape when the
natural nail is too weak to grow without breaking. The use of
artificial nails may also be preferred since nail polish may better
adhere to the artificial nail surface compared to the surface of a
natural nail.
[0004] Artificial nails generally include (i) full-coverage nails,
which may completely overlay the natural fingernail, and (ii) nail
tips, which are positioned and attached to the end of the natural
nail. Such nails are usually made from thin, molded plastic members
manufactured in a general shape of a natural nail, and can
preferably be further shaped with a file, after the attachment
thereof to a finger or toe, to ensure proper blending and a
comfortable fit. Typically, in order to attach the artificial nail,
a bonding adhesive is applied to the artificial nail and/or the
natural nail. The artificial nail is then positioned on the natural
nail such that the front portion of the artificial nail extends
over the natural nail to form an extended nail tip. The extended
artificial nail tip may then be cut and/or filed to a desired
length and shape. Any excess adhesive can then be wiped or trimmed
away. After a waiting period, the adhesive sets, and the artificial
nail is secured to the natural nail. To remove the artificial nail,
the finger on which the artificial nail is secured is typically
soaked in a solvent for a sufficient amount of time to dissolve the
adhesive. Such soaking process is not only difficult and time
consuming, but also may damage the natural nail. This is especially
problematic if the characteristics of the artificial nail (e.g.,
curvature, shape) does not match those of the natural nail.
[0005] Conventional artificial nails are substantially rectangular
plastic members having a variety of lengths and widths. Typically,
full coverage nails are applied professionally using an acrylic
method. The acrylic method, however, has many drawbacks that
include, for example, requiring time-consuming and labor intensive
application by a trained technician at a professional salon, toxic
chemicals are required creating many health concerns, and sculpting
the acrylic nail may cause problems due to dusting increasing
health concerns.
[0006] In addition, sculpting individual nails may result in
inconsistent outcomes, even when applied by a trained professional.
More specifically, typical artificial nails generally include a
certain degree of curvature along the length and width to allow a
more natural fit to the natural nail. The artificial nail, however,
should typically be filed and buffed after being secured to the
natural nail in order to obtain a desired fit and blending.
Moreover, since the artificial nails usually do not exactly match
the curvature of the natural nail, the artificial nails secured in
such manner are often distorted, thus causing an increased stress
on both the natural nail and the artificial nail. Thus, securing an
improperly fitted artificial nail on a natural nail may cause
certain discomfort to the wearer, as well as some difficulty in
attaching and fitting the artificial nails. Accordingly, there is a
need to be able to determine the best fitting artificial nails that
match the characteristics of a natural nail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
an artificial nail that matches the characteristics of a natural
nail may be determined. For example, certain characteristics of the
natural nail may be obtained, and an artificial nail may then be
selected based on these characteristics to obtain a better fit
between the artificial nail and the natural nail.
[0008] In certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a
system for obtaining at least one characteristic of at least one
artificial nail is provided. The system may include a plurality of
nail sizing elements, such that each of the elements includes at
least one characteristic. Such characteristic(s) of each of the
nail sizing elements corresponds to at least one characteristic of
an artificial nail that may be attached to a bodily extension
(e.g., a finger, a toe, a natural nail, etc.). In other exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, a method can be provided for
obtaining at least one characteristic of at least one artificial
nail. The method may include providing a plurality of nail sizing
elements, such that each of the elements includes at least one
characteristic. Such characteristic(s) of each of the nail sizing
elements corresponds to at least one characteristic of an
artificial nail that may be attached to a bodily extension (e.g., a
finger, a toe, a natural nail, etc).
[0009] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the
characteristic of the nail sizing element can substantially match
one or more characteristics of the bodily extension. In a still
further embodiment of the present invention, the artificial nail
having one or more characteristics corresponding to the nail sizing
element may be obtained from a plurality of artificial nails, and
attached to a bodily extension. Such artificial nail may be
provided separately from the nail sizing elements, and selected
based on the characteristic(s) of the nail sizing element.
[0010] For a better understanding of the present invention,
together with other and further objects, reference is made to the
following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a set of nail sizing
elements that may be used in accordance with the systems and
methods of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary artificial nail selected according
to the exemplary scheme of these systems and methods of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary system and usage thereof for
obtaining one or more characteristics of natural nails and/or
artificial nails according to the systems and methods of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention provides exemplary systems and methods
for sizing and/or applying artificial nails 20. While the exemplary
systems and methods of the present invention may be applied to any
bodily extension, e.g., a finger or a toe, they are particularly
useful for a cosmetic enhancement of fingernails. The present
invention may be used in both retail applications (e.g.,
full-coverage nails) and also in professional applications (e.g.,
an acrylic method).
[0015] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary set of nail sizing elements 12
that may be used in accordance with and are part of an exemplary
system of and are part of the present invention. The nail sizing
elements 12 may be fabricated by an injection molding to form a
unitary part, and can include a plurality of individual elements 10
each including at least one characteristic. For example, an
exemplary characteristic of the sizing elements 10 may include a
size of the natural nail in terms of lateral and/or longitudinal
curvature thereof. Since natural nails vary in both lateral and
longitudinal curvatures from one person to another, a plurality of
sizing elements 10 (each having a different such curvature) may be
used to allow for these variations. In an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention, the sizing elements 10 may include lateral
curvatures ranging from, e.g., extra flat (EF), flat (F), regular
(R), high (H) and extra high (EH). In other exemplary embodiments
of the present invention, the sizing elements 10 may include
longitudinal curvatures of, e.g., medium (M) and curved (C). In
addition, the size of the sizing elements 10 may include size
ranges from, e.g., #1 (largest) to #15 (smallest), which
corresponds to the industry-recognized sizes of nail bodies. Thus,
multiple combinations of sizing characteristics may be incorporated
to form a plurality of sizing elements 10. For example, an
exemplary sizing element may include a "#5" width having a flat
lateral curvature, and a medium "M" longitudinal curvature.
[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
individual sizing elements 10 may be connected to a supporting
structure 14 as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the individual sizing
elements 10 may be organized on the supporting structure 14 in an
aesthetically pleasing as well as functional pattern. For example,
the sizing elements 10 may be arranged in order of size along the
supporting structure 14.
[0017] The plurality of sizing elements 10 may also include a mark,
label or indicator that can be used to distinguish each of the
individual sizing elements 10 by at least one characteristic, e.g.,
size, lateral curvature, longitudinal curvature or combinations
thereof. For example, the mark, label or indicator may be molded or
etched into the sizing element, and/or other conventional ways for
applying the mark/label indicator on the sizing elements 10, as
well as another section of the supporting structure 14 may be
used.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the exemplary embodiments of these
systems and methods according to the present invention further
include an artificial nail 20. For example, the artificial nail may
include full-coverage nails, which completely overlay the natural
fingernail. In addition or alternatively, the artificial nails may
include nail tips, which are generally shorter in length as
compared to the full-coverage nails, and may be attached to the
ends of respective natural nails. The artificial nails of the
present invention may also be made from any material known in the
art, including but not limited to, tenite acetate, nylon or a blend
of ABS plastics.
[0019] The exemplary artificial nails 20 according to the present
invention may be formed with the same size characteristics as those
of the sizing elements 10. For example, one or more of the
artificial nails 20 of the present invention may have substantially
rectangular shapes with lengths that may be larger than their
widths. However, the exemplary artificial nails 20 may also be
provided in any shape or size depending on the desired application
thereof.
[0020] In particular, at least one of the exemplary artificial
nails 20 of the present invention may include a distal end 22 and a
proximal end 24 that forms the attachment area 12, e.g., the
portion that may be attached to the natural nail 36. It should also
be understood that the distal end 22 of the artificial nail 20 may
also be coupled to the natural nail. Each artificial nail 20 may
have a specific thickness depending on its size and/or curvature
characteristics. In a further embodiment of the present invention,
the artificial nail 20 may taper depending on preferred aesthetics
or other factors. For example, the attachment area 26 of the
proximal end 24 may be thinner than that of the distal end 22 to
allow for a greater flexibility of the artificial nail 20. However,
the exemplary artificial nails 20 of the present invention may be
provided with any thickness depending on the desired
application.
[0021] According to further exemplary embodiments of the systems
and methods of the present invention, a set of sizing elements 12
may be used to determine the characteristic(s) of a bodily
extension, e.g., a toe, finger, etc. For example, as shown in FIG.
3, a set of sizing elements 12 may be placed against a natural nail
36 to determine which sizing element 10 corresponds to one or more
characteristics of the natural nail 36. To obtain the best match
between a sizing element 10 and the natural nail 36, one or more
sets of the sizing elements 12 (e.g., each include multiple sizing
elements 10 with various combinations of sizing characteristics)
may be systematically compared to the natural nail 36 so as to
obtain the appropriate characteristics of the respective natural
nail 36 and/or the artificial nail. In a further embodiment of the
present invention, the individual sizing elements 10 may each be
labeled or marked so as to identify which characteristics each
sizing element 10 includes. For example, the sizing element 10 may
include a label "R-M 1" corresponding to a #1 width, and having a
regular lateral curvature and a medium longitudinal curvature.
[0022] In still a further embodiment of the present invention, a
plurality of artificial nails 20 may be provided that can
correspond to the sizing characteristics of each of the plurality
of sizing elements 10. In addition, the artificial nails 20 may be
provided in containers 30 to separate the individual artificial
nails 20 according to their particular characteristics that
generally correspond to the respective characteristics of the
sizing elements 10, as shown in FIG. 2. Once the respective sizing
element 10 that substantially corresponds to the associated natural
nail 36 is located, the artificial nail 20 which has
characteristics corresponding to those of the sizing element 10 may
be obtained, e.g., from the separate container 30. In a further
embodiment of the present invention, the artificial nail 20 that
includes substantially the same sizing characteristics as those of
the sizing element 10 may then be attached to the natural nail
36.
[0023] While there have been described what are believed to be the
preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in
the art will recognize that other and further changes and
modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit
of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and
modifications as all within the true scope of the invention.
* * * * *