U.S. patent application number 13/886728 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-14 for portable manicure tray.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dana Smeragliuolo. Invention is credited to Dana Smeragliuolo.
Application Number | 20130298926 13/886728 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49547662 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130298926 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smeragliuolo; Dana |
November 14, 2013 |
PORTABLE MANICURE TRAY
Abstract
The current invention discloses an easy to use portable manicure
tray having a manicure board and a support structure. The manicure
board has a phone holder, a nail polish remover alcove, a tool
arrangement alcove, and a plurality of nail polish slots. These
structures are designed to accommodate the needed materials used
for a manicure treatment. With a support structure such as lap
pouch having soft fillings, the manicure tray may be placed on a
user's lap when the manicure process is being conducted. Additional
structures such as a towel clamp, a carrying strap, and a removable
light may further facilitate the manicure experience.
Inventors: |
Smeragliuolo; Dana;
(Woodbridge, NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Smeragliuolo; Dana |
Woodbridge |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49547662 |
Appl. No.: |
13/886728 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61644470 |
May 9, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
132/75 ;
132/73.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 29/20 20130101;
A45D 29/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/75 ;
132/73.5 |
International
Class: |
A45D 29/20 20060101
A45D029/20 |
Claims
1. A portable manicure tray, comprising: a manicure board having a
front surface, back surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a left
edge, and a right edge; and a handle structure attached to the
upper edge of the manicure board; wherein the manicure board has: a
phone holder, a nail polish remover alcove, a tool arrangement
alcove, a plurality of nail polish slots, and wherein a nail polish
remover is placed in the nail polish remover alcove.
2. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, further comprising a
wrist gel having an elongated shape and being placed on the
manicure board parallel to the lower edge.
3. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, wherein the phone holder
is an alcove on the manicure board close to the right edge and the
lower edge.
4. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, further comprising a
removable light attached to the manicure board.
5. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, further comprising a
towel clamp attached to the left edge of top edge of the manicure
board, the towel clamp attaching a towel on the front surface of
the manicure board.
6. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, further comprising a
supporting member attached to the back surface of the manicure
board.
7. The portable manicure tray of claim 6, wherein the supporting
member is a lap pouch having soft fillings.
8. The portable manicure tray of claim 7, wherein the thickness of
the lap pouch is not uniform and the thickness of the lap pouch at
specific locations may be adjusted by relocating the soft
fillings.
9. The portable manicure tray of claim 7, wherein the lap pouch may
be adjusted to a gradually changing thickness wherein the gradually
changing thickness has a maximum height close to the upper edge of
the manicure board and a minimum height close to the lower edge of
the manicure board.
10. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, wherein the nail polish
remover alcove has a round shape from a top view and has a depth of
approximately 2.5 cm.
11. The portable manicure tray of claim 1, wherein the tool
arrangement alcove has an elongated rectangular shape from a top
view, has a depth of about 2.5 cm, and is located close to the
upper edge of the manicure board.
12. The portable manicure tray of claim 11, wherein the tool
arrangement alcove is compartmentalized to accommodate nail files
and nail clippers.
13. The tray of claim 1, wherein the manicure board is flexibly
attached to a second board; said second board being capable of
being folded under the board to form a support element.
14. The tray of claim 13, wherein the manicure board has an
elongated hole parallel to its lower edge and wherein the second
board has an elongated alcove with a supporting bottom along its
lower edge and said elongated alcove is so shaped and positioned
that when the second board is folded under the board the elongated
alcove is a fit for the hole and the supporting bottom of the
alcove forms a wrist support.
15. A portable manicure tray, comprising: a manicure board having a
front surface, back surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a left
edge, and a right edge; a removable light attached to the left edge
of the manicure board; a towel clamp attached to the left edge of
top edge of the manicure board, the towel clamp attaching a towel
on the front surface of the manicure board; a wrist gel having an
elongated shape and being place on the manicure board parallel to
the lower edge; and a strap attached to the upper edge of the
manicure board; a lap pouch having soft fillings attached to the
back surface of the manicure board, wherein the manicure board has:
a phone holder, nail polish remover alcove, a tool arrangement
alcove, a plurality of nail polish slots, and the manicure board;
wherein a nail polish remover is placed in the nail polish remover
alcove, the phone holder is an alcove on the manicure board close
to the right edge and the lower edge, the thickness of the lap
pouch is not uniform and the thickness of the lap pouch at specific
locations may be adjusted by relocating the soft fillings.
16. A portable and foldable manicure tray comprising a board having
a left edge and a right edge, and a first foldable flap attached to
the left edge and a second foldable flap attached to the right
edge; said board having a nail polish remover alcove, a tool
arrangement alcove and a plurality of nail polish slots.
17. The tray of claim 16, wherein the tray further has support
elements attachable to lower side of the flaps to support the
tray.
18. The tray of claim 17, wherein the support elements are
connected with a bar to each other to prevent the flaps to
collapse.
19. The portable manicure tray of claim 16, wherein the tool
arrangement alcove is compartmentalized to accommodate nail files
and nail clippers.
20. The portable manicure tray of claim 15, further comprising a
nail polish remover cover shielding the nail polish remover alcove,
wherein the nail polish remover is a sponge permeated with nail
polish removing liquid.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. provisional
application 61/644,470 filed on May 9, 2012 the contents of which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The current invention relates to a portable manicure tray.
In particular, the current invention relates to a manicure tray
that is designed to accommodate the necessities of a manicure
treatment. The manicure tray is easily portable and may be
comfortably placed on a user's lap for convenient use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A manicure is a cosmetic beauty treatment for the
fingernails and hands. The manicure treatment may include processes
such as shaping of the free edge, application of polishes, massage
of the hand and nail filing. Sometimes, manicure treatment may also
involve removing existing polishes.
[0004] In many cases, manicures are performed in nail salons and
beauty parlors. However, it has become more and more popular to
conduct one's own manicure treatment at one's home, with leisure,
ease, and less cost. Yet, most of the regular desks and tables in a
common household are not suitable to be used for manicures, which
require tools such as files, clippers and bottles for nail
polishes. Moreover, a manicure process may become messy and may
leave stains on the tables and desks that are used. The
professional nail salons usually have manicure tables having
complicated designs. But those tables are too expensive and
unnecessarily complex for home usage. In addition, it is desirable
to have a manicure table or tray that is portable and may be placed
on a person's lap. Such a table or tray may have the advantages of
being light, portable, foldable, easy to use and inexpensive. The
current invention discloses such a portable manicure tray. In
addition, the tray disclosed by the current invention has the
structural designs to accommodate the necessities in a manicure
treatment, allowing a clean and enjoyable manicure at the time and
location of a use's choice.
[0005] There are some tables or desks that are designed to be
portable and may be used for manicure purposes. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,700,634 discloses a portable, lap-oriented desk unit
that is achieved by securely affixing supporting cushion means to a
housing assembly, which housing assembly comprises a work
supporting surface and movable, fully contained illumination means
associated therewith and movable between a first, stowed position,
and a second deployed position, wherein said illumination means is
in juxtaposed, spaced illuminating relationship with said work
surface. In the preferred embodiment, the portable, lap-oriented
desk unit also incorporates a secure, enclosed, storage zone in
which any desired equipment for performing the particular work can
be securely retained and stored for use when needed. In this way, a
laporiented desk unit is obtained which provides for secure storage
of all of the requisite material needed for performing the work
function, as well as providing portable, self-contained,
selfpowered illumination means for assuring complete illumination
of the work surface whenever required.
[0006] This portable table, however, is not well-tailored to suit
the needs for a manicure. The various bottles and tools needed for
a manicure process may not be easily placeable on a flat desk
surface. The design of this table, therefore, does not address the
specific needs.
[0007] Some other inventions have been disclosed specifically as
manicure tables. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,729 discloses a
portable nail polish table generally comprising a base portion and
a pair of side flaps. The base portion includes nail polish bottle
holding wells and a grippable, stabilizing flange. The side flap
are proximate the base portion and are able to present a
substantially horizontal work surface area. The stabilizing flange
is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal works surface area
when presented. Further, upon gripping of the stabilizing flange,
e.g., with the knees or legs, the side flap are maintained in a
substantially horizontal orientation.
[0008] However, the above mentioned invention is limited in its
usage because it is bulky in its design and the table does not have
sufficient placement structures for the required items necessary
for a manicure. The current invention addresses such problems.
[0009] In summary, various apparatus are known in the art, but
their structures are distinctively different from the current
invention. Moreover, prior inventions fail to address all of the
problems solved by the invention described herein. One embodiment
of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
will be described in more detail herein below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The current invention discloses a portable manicure tray,
comprising: a manicure board having a front surface, back surface,
an upper edge, a lower edge, a left edge, and a right edge; a
handle structure attached to or placed close to the upper edge of
the manicure board; wherein the manicure board has: a phone holder,
a nail polish remover alcove, a tool arrangement alcove, and a
plurality of nail polish slots, wherein a nail polish remover is
placed in the nail polish remover alcove.
[0011] Aside from the structures listed above, the portable
manicure tray may further comprise some additional structures that
may facilitate the manicure treatment. For example, the portable
manicure tray may include a wrist gel having an elongated shape.
The wrist gel may be placed on the manicure board for support of a
user's wrist. In addition, the portable manicure tray may include a
removable light attached to the manicure board. The removable light
may provide much needed illumination for the manicure process when
ambient light is not sufficient. With an attachment mechanism, the
light may be attached to and removed from the manicure board
easily, enabling convenient adjustment.
[0012] A manicure process may become messy when the nail polishes
are leaked, spilled, or rubbed onto the manicure board. To ensure a
clean manicure, the portable manicure tray may include a towel
clamp that may attach a towel, either paper or fabric, on the front
surface of the manicure board. The user may put her hands on the
towel during the manicure treatment and wipe away any undesirable
stain immediately when it appears.
[0013] The portable manicure tray may include a handle structure
for convenient carrying of the tray. The handle structure may have
different designs. For example, the handle structure may be a
permanent or removable attachment to the manicure board, such as a
strap, allowing a user to grip the handle structure and carry the
manicure tray around. Alternatively, the handle structure may be a
strap in the manicure board, serving as a simple but practical
means to allow easy carrying of the manicure tray.
[0014] The portable manicure tray may further comprise a supporting
member attached to the back surface of the manicure board. The
supporting member may serve as a cushion and a height adjusting
mechanism when the user puts the manicure tray on her lap. The
exact structure of the supporting member may vary according to the
needs of the user and the cost. For example, the supporting member
may be a lap pouch having soft fillings, wherein the thickness of
the lap pouch is not uniform and the thickness of the lap pouch at
specific locations may be adjusted by relocating the soft fillings.
Moreover, the lap pouch may be adjusted to a gradually changing
thickness wherein the gradually changing thickness has a maximum
height close to the upper edge of the manicure board and a minimum
height close to the lower edge of the manicure board.
[0015] As suggested above, the manicure board may include several
alcoves having different sizes for the accommodation of needed
materials in a manicure process. These alcoves serve different
needs. For example, the tool arrangement alcove may be used to
house the nail files and clippers. Likewise, nail polishes may be
disposed in the nail polish slots and a polish remover may be put
in the nail polish remover alcove. Moreover, the format, size,
shape, and depth of the alcoves may be adjusted according to the
specific needs. For example, the tool arrangement alcove may be
compartmentalized to have one sub-alcove specifically accommodates
nail files and another to house nail clippers. According to some
embodiments the manicure tray is foldable.
[0016] Overall, the current portable manicure tray is designed to
be light, durable, easy to use, easy to adjust, and inexpensive,
aiming at satisfying individual user's needs for a convenient and
low-cost manicure treatment at the time and place of the user's
choosing.
[0017] In general, the present invention succeeds in conferring the
following, and others not mentioned, desirable and useful benefits
and objectives.
[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
portable manicure tray that accommodates the tools and bottles of a
manicure treatment.
[0019] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
portable manicure tray that is foldable.
[0020] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
portable manicure tray that is light and easily portable.
[0021] It is another object of the current invention to provide a
portable manicure tray that may be placed on a user's lap during a
manicure treatment.
[0022] It is still another object of the current invention to
provide a portable manicure tray that has a removable light.
[0023] It is another object of the current invention to provide a
portable manicure tray that has a towel clamp that may attach a
towel onto the front surface of the manicure board.
[0024] It is yet another object of the current invention to provide
a portable manicure tray that is easy to use and easy to
manufacture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1A shows a top view of a manicure board.
[0026] FIG. 1B shows a first sectional view of the manicure
board.
[0027] FIG. 1C shows a second sectional view of the manicure
board.
[0028] FIG. 2A shows a prospective view of a portable manicure tray
having a lap pouch as supporting member.
[0029] FIG. 2B shows a side view of the portable manicure tray
having a lap pouch as supporting member.
[0030] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of another embodiment of
the portable manicure tray.
[0031] FIG. 3B is a top perspective view of folded manicure tray of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of yet another embodiment
of the manicure tray.
[0033] FIG. 5A is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 4.
[0034] FIG. 5B is bottom perspective view of an alternative
embodiment shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now
be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in
the various figures are identified, as far as possible, with the
same reference numerals. Reference will now be made in detail to
the preferred embodiment. This embodiment is provided by way of
explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be
limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may
appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the
present drawings that various modifications and variations can be
made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the
invention.
[0036] FIG. 1A shows a top view of a manicure tray 1. Shown in FIG.
1A is the manicure board 10 having a front surface 15, a upper edge
25, a lower edge 30, a left edge 35, and a right edge 40. Moreover,
on the manicure board 10, there are a nail polish remover alcove 60
close to the left edge 35 and the upper edge 25, a tool arrangement
alcove 75 adjacent to the upper edge 25 in the middle, four nail
polish slots 70 close to the upper edge 25, a phone holder 50 close
to the right edge 40 and the lower edge 30, and a strap 45 attached
to the manicure board 10 by threading through strap holes 48
position on the upper corners of the manicure board 10. In
addition, also shown in FIG. 1A are a towel clamp 90 attached to
the left edge 35 on the front surface 15 of the manicure board 10
and a wrist gel 80 having an elongated shape removably attached to
the front surface 15 of the manicure board 10 close to the lower
edge 30. Points A and B serve as indicators of a sectional line for
a view of the manicure board 10 shown in FIG. 1B. Similarly, points
C and D serve as indicators of another sectional line for a view of
the manicure board 10 shown in FIG. 1C.
[0037] The manicure board 10 is the main structure for the portable
manicure tray 1, providing a frame for the other components.
Preferably, the manicure board 10 has a rectangular shape with
rounded corners. The manicure board 10 may have a width defined as
the distance between the left edge 35 and the right edge 40, the
width having a range of 5 to 100 inches (12.7-254 cm) and a
preferred range of 15 to 35 inches (38 to 89 cm). The manicure
board 10 may have a length defined as the distance between the
upper edge 25 and the lower edge 30, the length having a range of 5
to 100 inches (12.7 to 25.4 cm) and a preferred range of 10 to 30
inches (25.4 to 76.2 cm). The width is preferably longer than the
length with the preferred width/length ratio to range from 1 to
2.
[0038] The manicure board 10 may be made from suitable material
that is durable and easy to mold, the materials including but not
limited to: metal, wood, rubber, or a plastic such as, but not
limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE),
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC),
polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC), or
some combination thereof. The preferred materials are plastics. It
is also desirable that the materials making up the manicure board
10 are light, robust, and inexpensive.
[0039] During a manicure process, it is very likely that nail
polishes may be dripped, spilled, rubbed, or splashed into the
front surface 15 of the manicure board 10. The towel clamp 90 is
used to attach a towel to the manicure board 10 to minimize the
messiness that may be caused. The towel clamp 90 may be fixed in
place or removable. Moreover, the towel clamp 90 is likely to be
powered by a spring member and it may clamp the towel to the front
surface 15 of the manicure board 10. The structure of the towel
clamp 90 is known in the art and what is shown in FIG. 1A may be
altered according to the needs of the user. The towel may be
extended and cover the central space, above which the polishing of
the nails will be conducted. Preferably, the towel clamp 90 is
attached to the left edge 35 of the manicure board 10.
Alternatively, the location of the towel clamp 90 may be changed
according to the positions of other structures on the manicure
board 10 and the preference of the user.
[0040] It is desirable to have a handle structure so that the
portable manicure tray 1 may be carried around. As indicated above,
the handle structure may have different designs. As shown in FIG.
1A, the handle structure is a strap 45 attached to be manicure
board 10 by threading through the strap holes 48 on the upper
corners of the manicure board 10. The user of the portable manicure
tray 1 may carry the manicure board 10 by take hold of the strap 45
by hand or bear the strap 48 on his/her arm or shoulder. It should
be noted that the handle structure may change in its design
according to the needs of the user. For example, the handle
structure may be a gripping hole through the manicure board 10 and
the user may take hold of the manicure board 10.
[0041] There are other attachments that may be added to the
portable manicure tray 1 to facilitate the manicure treatment. For
example, a detachable light may be attached to the manicure board
10. Preferably, the detachable light may be clamped or connected to
the right edge 40 of the manicure board 10, providing necessary
illumination when the ambient light is not sufficient. Moreover, a
bag may attach to the bottom side of the manicure board 10, wherein
the bag is used to store the items needed in a manicure process
when the manicure tray 1 is not in use. For example, the bag may be
used to store the nail polish bottles, the manicure tools, and
other necessary items.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 1A, the nail polish slots 70, the tool
arrangement alcove 75, and the nail polish remover alcove 60 are
located close to the upper edge 25 of the manicure board 10.
However, it should be noted that these slots and alcoves, generally
designed to accommodate the necessities of a manicure process, may
vary in their positioning. Nevertheless, it is still preferred that
these slots and alcoves are disposed close to one edge of the
manicure board 10. For example, the nail polish slots 70 may be
aligned to the right edge 40 of the manicure board 10. The current
design shown in FIG. 1A fully anticipates the common habits of most
users. Therefore, the current design is preferred while variations
may apply according to the needs of the user.
[0043] FIG. 1B shows a first sectional view of the manicure board.
The sectional line is shown as between points A and B in FIG. 1A.
Shown in FIG. 1B is the manicure board 10 having a front surface 15
and a back surface 20, which is not shown in FIG. 1A. Also shown in
FIG. 1B are four nail polish slots 70, a tool arrangement alcove 75
being divided into two compartments by a separator 77, and a nail
polish remover alcove 60 having a nail polish remover 55 residing
in the nail polish remover alcove 60. FIG. 1B illustrate the
general design of the nail polish slots 70, the tool arrangement
alcove 75, and the nail polish remover alcove 60.
[0044] Shown in FIG. 1B are four nail polish slots 70, two on the
left and two on the right of the tool arrangement alcove 75. These
slots are designed to accommodate nail polish bottles. Since the
nail polish bottles vary in sizes, the nail polish slots 70 may
vary in its depth and shape. From a top view as shown in FIG. 1A,
the nail polish slots 70 have a round shape. However, it should be
noted that other shapes may be acceptable. Similarly, the number of
nail polish slots 70 may vary according to the size of the nail
polish bottles, the size of the manicure board 10, and the needs of
the user. Preferably, the number of nail polish slots 70 ranges
from 2 to 10. The widths of the nail polish slots 70 may be the
same or different, with the preferable range of 0.5-3 inches
(1.27-7.62 cm) and the most preferred width of approximately 1.5
inches (2.8 cm). Similarly, the depths of the nail polish slots 70
may be the same or different, with the preferable range of 0.3-3
inches (0.76-7.62 cm) and the most preferred depth of approximately
1 inch (2.54 cm). Since the nail polishes bottles may vary in
sizes, it is desirable that the sizes of the nail polish slots 70
are adjustable. Therefore, the nail polish slots 70 may include
adjusters disposed in the nail polish slots 70. The adjusters may
be spring-powered mechanisms that protrude out of the inner
sidewalls of the nail polish slots 70, abutting the side walls of
the nail polish bottles and anchoring the bottles in the nail
polish slots 70. Alternatively, an adjuster may be elastic
materials the size of which may change according to pressure,
similarly abutting the nail polish bottles and keep them in
place.
[0045] Also shown in FIG. 1B is the tool arrangement alcove 75,
which is used to accommodate the tools used for the manicure
process. During a manicure, a user may use many tools, including
but not limited to: nippers, clippers, files, pushers, brushes,
trimmers, scissors, tweezers, and slicers. These tools, in general,
may have an elongated shape and may be inserted into the tool
arrangement alcove 75. In FIG. 1B, the separator 77 divides the
tool arrangement alcove 75 into two compartments. It should be
noted that the tool arrangement alcove 75 may adopt other formats
for compartmentalization. Or the tool arrangement alcove 75 may
comprise a single slot, with no separators. In addition, FIG. 1A
shows that the tool arrangement alcove 75 has a rectangular shape
from a top view and it is the preferred shape. However, the tool
arrangement alcove 75 may have other shapes as necessitated by the
particular manicure to be performed. The depth of the tool
arrangement alcove 75 may vary, with the preferable range of 0.3-3
inches (0.76-7.62 cm) and the most preferred depth of approximately
1 inch (2.54 cm). The specific design of the tool arrangement
alcove 75, such as compartmentalization, size, and shape, may vary
according to the tools to be accommodated and the needs of the
user.
[0046] FIG. 1B also shows a nail polish remover 55 disposed in the
nail polish remover alcove 60. The nail polish remover 55 is
preferably a sponge containing nail polishing removing agents such
as the Cutex.RTM. nail polish removing solutions. The sponge may
have cavities. A user of the portable manicure tray 1 may stick her
fingers into the cavities of the nail polish remover 55 and rub
away the old nail polishes or nail polishes that are applied
improperly. As shown in FIG. 1A, the nail polish remover alcove 60
has a round shape from a top view, but it should be noted that
other shapes may be used. To ensure prolonged use of the nail
polish remover 55, the nail polish remover alcove 60 may have a
removable cover, which may be removed when the portable manicure
tray 1 is being used and attached when the manicure process is
completed. The depth of the nail polish remover alcove 60 may vary,
with the preferable range of 0.3-3 inches (0.76-7.62 cm) and the
most preferred depth of approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm).
[0047] FIG. 1C shows a second sectional view of the manicure board.
The sectional line is shown as between points C and D in FIG. 1A.
Shown in FIG. 1C are the manicure board 10, the wrist gel 80 placed
on the manicure board 10, and the phone holder 50.
[0048] The wrist gel 80 is designed to provide support for the
wrist of a user during the manicure process. Preferably the wrist
gel 80 may have an elongated shape from a top view and be placed
close to the left edge 35 of the manicure board 10. However, it
should be noted that other shapes may be adopted according the
needs of the user. The height of the wrist gel 80 may vary, with
the preferable range of 0.3-3 inches (0.76-7.62 cm) and the most
preferred height of approximately 0.5 inch (1.27 cm). Preferably,
the wrist gel may comprise a silicon gel, or other soft and
resilient materials covered by plastics or fabric. Moreover, the
wrist gel is preferred to be removable from the manicure board 10.
The wrist gel may be placed on the manicure board 10 without any
attachment mechanisms or be attached using structures such as but
not limited to magnets and hook-and-loop strips.
[0049] The phone holder 50 is designed to be a slot to place the
phone or other electronic devices of the user. In this day and age
of constant communication, having a phone at close proximity is not
only fashionable, but also necessary. Preferably, the phone holder
50 may have a rectangular shape from a top view, with a general
range of 2 to 10 inches for the width and length. The preferred
size of the phone holder 50 is approximately 3 inches (7.62 cm) for
the width and 5 inches (12.7 cm) for the length. The depth of the
phone holder 50 may vary, with the preferable range of 0.1-2 inches
(0.25-5 cm) and the most preferred height of approximately 0.25
inch (0.635 cm). Aside from phones, the phone holder 50 may
accommodate other electronic devices such as mp3 players, PDAs, and
tablet computers.
[0050] FIG. 2A shows a prospective view of a portable manicure tray
1 having a lap pouch 95 as supporting member. Shown in FIG. 2A are
the manicure board 10 having a nail polish remover alcove 60 close
to the left edge 35 and the upper edge 25, a tool arrangement
alcove 75 adjacent to the upper edge 25, four nail polish slots 70
close to the upper edge 25, a phone holder 50 close to the right
edge 40 and the lower edge 30, and a strap 45 attached to the
manicure board 10 by threading through strap holes 48 position on
the upper corners of the manicure board 10. Also shown in FIG. 2A
are a towel clamp 90 attached to the left edge 35 on the front
surface 15 of the manicure board 10 and a wrist gel 80 having an
elongated shape disposed on the front surface 15 of the manicure
board 10 close to the lower edge 30.
[0051] To make the portable manicure tray 1 more suitable for home
use, a supporting member may be attached to the back surface 20 of
the manicure board 10. The supporting member may serve as a
cushioning mechanism and may also be used to adjust the height of
the portable manicure tray 1. In the preferred embodiment shown in
FIG. 2A, the supporting member is a lap pouch 95. The lap pouch 95
has soft fillings and may be placed on the user's lap and serve as
a cushion for the manicure board 10.
[0052] FIG. 2B shows a side view of the portable manicure tray 1
having an upper edge 25 and a lower edge 30, with a lap pouch 95 as
supporting member. Also shown in FIG. 2B are wrist gel 80 and a
towel clamp 90 attached to the manicure board 10. The lower parts
of the alcoves and slots protruding out of the back surface 20 of
the manicure board 10 are blocked from view by the lap pouch 95.
For clarity purposes, the strap 45 is not shown in FIG. 2B.
[0053] The lap pouch 95 has a thickness 100 as shown in FIG. 2B.
Preferably, the thickness 100 of the lap pouch 95 is not uniform
and the thickness 100 at specific locations may be adjusted by
relocating the soft fillings in the lap pouch 95. For example, as
shown in FIG. 2B, the bottom of the lap pouch 95 may be adjusted to
be in general a slope, wherein the thickness 100 is higher when it
is closer to the upper edge 25 and is lower when it is closer to
the lower edge 30. The overall range to the thickness 100 may be
0.2-20 inches (0.5 to 50 cm). As shown in FIG. 2B, the thickest
part of the lap pouch 95 is preferably approximately 4 inches (10
cm) and the thinnest part of the lap pouch 95 is preferably
approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm).
[0054] Now referring to FIGS. 3-5 other embodiments of the manicure
tray are described. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B an embodiment of
the manicure tray 1 is shown where the manicure tray is foldable.
The manicure tray has a manicure board 10 having a front surface
15, an upper edge 25, a lower edge 30, a left edge 35, and a right
edge 40. Moreover, on the manicure board 10, there are a nail
polish remover alcove 60 close to the left edge 35 and the upper
edge 25, a tool arrangement alcove 75 adjacent to the upper edge 25
in the middle, several nail polish slots 70 close to the upper edge
25 and a longitudinal hole 99 close to the lower edge 30. According
to this embodiment the nail polish remover alcove 60 and the nail
polish slots 70 may be holes through witch a container 65 may be
attached, Typically the container has a rim 66 that is larger than
the alcove hole 60 and thereby the rim holds the container above
the hole. The container may have a separate lid 67. Additionally
the manicure tray 1 comprises a second board 110. Said second board
having a front surface 150, an upper edge 250, a lower edge 300, a
left edge 350 and a right edge 400. On the second board 110, there
are shown three slots 700 close to the upper edge 250. The slots
may be used as tool arrangement alcove or nail polish slots.
Additionally the second board 110 has a longitudinal alcove 990
close to the lower edge 300. The second board 100 is attached from
its upper edge 250 to the upper edge 25 of the manicure board 10
with rings 1300. The manicure tray 1 of this embodiment is foldable
so that the second board 100 may be folded under the manicure board
10. The longitudinal hole 99 has such dimensions that the
longitudinal alcove 990 penetrates through the hole and the bottom
999a of the alcove now serves as a writs rest. The bottoms 710 of
the slots 700 will now form a support for the containers inserted
through the alcoves 60 and 70.
[0055] In FIG. 3A it is shown that the tool arrangement compartment
70 may include flexible longitudinal elements 71 that may be used
to support tools. The longitudinal elements may be made of plastic,
PVC or any other feasible material.
[0056] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a manicure tray 1 includes a
manicure board 10 attached to two foldable flaps 1000 serving as
side boards. The flaps 1000 are attached to the right edge 40 and
the left edge 30 of the manicure board. The manicure board contains
two holes 1010 through which containers 1020 may be inserted. The
upper rim 1025 of the containers preferably have a lip to prevent
the containers to fall through the holes 1010. The containers can
be used as tool arrangement compartments or as nail polis remover
alcoves. The flaps 1000 have several nail polish holders 1030. The
flaps 1000 may be folded under the manicure board 10 when not used
as side boards. When the manicure tray is in use the side boards
will be folded open and supported by support elements. In FIG. 5A
two support elements 1200 are shown. The elements are attached
under the flaps. The lower surface 1100 of the flaps may have slots
1190 to attach the support elements 1200. The support elements
would adjust the manicure board 10 comfortably to stay on the
user's lap and prevent the bottoms of the containers 1020 to touch
the user's lap. FIG. 5B shows one support element attached to the
bottom side of the side boards. In this case the elements 1200 are
connected with a middle bar 1180 which would prevent the side
boards to accidentally fold when in use.
[0057] Although this invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present
disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that
numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of
parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the
scope of the invention.
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