U.S. patent application number 13/549545 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-16 for device for altering a human or animal nail.
The applicant listed for this patent is Aaron Waxler. Invention is credited to Aaron Waxler.
Application Number | 20140014127 13/549545 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49912883 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140014127 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Waxler; Aaron |
January 16, 2014 |
DEVICE FOR ALTERING A HUMAN OR ANIMAL NAIL
Abstract
What is described is a motorized device used for altering the
shape, size, contour, texture, and/or shine of a nail on a
digit.
Inventors: |
Waxler; Aaron; (New
Rochelle, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Waxler; Aaron |
New Rochelle |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49912883 |
Appl. No.: |
13/549545 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/73.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 29/00 20130101;
A45D 29/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/73.6 |
International
Class: |
A45D 29/00 20060101
A45D029/00 |
Claims
1. A device for altering a nail on a digit comprising: A housing
comprising at least one aperture at one end for the insertion of at
least one digit; An internal chamber for receipt and alignment of
said at least one digit; A surface for optionally altering at least
a portion of said nail; A motor for displacing the surface to
effectuate said adapting; and A power source for supplying power to
said motor.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber comprises a
diameter at an end closest to the aperture is larger than at the
end closest to the surface.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber consists of
a shape selected from the group of: a substantially cylindrical
shape and a substantially conical shape.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber further
comprises at least one displaceable guide for alignment of said at
least one digit.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said displaceable guide is
selected from the group consisting of: a flexible substance, a
spring-mounted displaceable portion, a bearing, a cushioning, and a
movable resistance generator.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber further
comprises an opening at the end opposite said aperture for exposing
at least a portion of said nail.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein said surface further comprises a
mechanism which allows movement of said surface to effectuate said
altering.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein said mechanism is capable of
displacement by at least one of the group selected from: a spring,
a track, a belt, an oscillator, a rotator, and a lever.
9. The device of claim 7, wherein said mechanism is effectuated by
said motor to displace the surface and effectuate said
altering.
10. The device of claim 7, wherein said mechanism further comprises
an adjustable portion for adjusting the altering.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said adjustable portion adjusts
at least one of the quantity, shape, size, speed, direction,
movement and angle of said altering.
12. The device of claim 10, wherein said device further comprises a
user-selectable function which controls the adjustable portion.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein said surface further comprises a
grinding surface for filing a nail.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein said surface further comprises a
cutting surface for cutting a nail.
15. The device of claim 1, wherein the surface further comprises a
polishing surface for polishing a nail.
16. The device of claim 1, wherein said surface is accessible and
can be replaced upon excess wear.
17. The device of claim 1 further comprising a receptacle for
receiving a portion of said nail that is removed by the
surface.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein said receptacle is accessible
from the housing to enable disposal of said nail portion.
19. A device for altering a nail comprising: A housing comprising
at least one aperture at one end for the insertion of at least one
digit; An internal chamber for receipt and alignment of said at
least one digit and said nail; A surface for removing at least a
portion of said nail; A motor for displacing the surface to
effectuate said removing; and A power source for supplying power to
said motor.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0001] Finger and toe nails are routinely cut, filed, shaped,
polished, and otherwise adjusted for aesthetic, safety, and
hygienic reasons. This activity has been done using
manually-operated mechanical devices such as nail clippers that are
operated by depressing levers, releasing springs, moving a file or
buffer back and forth until the desired shape and texture are
achieved. All these mechanical devices must be manually manipulated
by a user to achieve the desired effect on the nails. The fact that
all these prior art devices are manually manipulated can have
undesirable effects. For example, the present state of the art nail
clipper has an elliptical cutting edge that is generally not
adjustable for the anatomy of the intended nail. This generally
provides a less than perfect result when used and requires
additional steps of filing to obtain a smooth edge. This multiple
step process can be time consuming. Additionally, less than perfect
results occur when one uses these manual devices on one's self.
When attempting to cut or otherwise adjust one's own nail, a user
must at some point perform these actions using a non-dominant hand
which can lead to less than desired results. Additionally, use of
these manually operated devices can be cumbersome; for example,
errors in their use can cause cuts in the tissues around a nail
that can become infected if not properly cleaned or detected.
Presently, to achieve the best results a second individual must
assist in cutting, shaping, polishing, etc. This can be time
consuming and may require a fee for the service. Furthermore,
access to the digits where cutting or re-shaping Is desired can be
difficult, for example, reaching ones toe nails or if a user wishes
to perform these acts on themselves but suffer from a handicap
which prevents the dexterity and flexibility required to operate
the manual devices.
[0002] The present invention overcomes many of the aforementioned
limitations by providing a motorized device which performs the
cutting automatically. As with many motorized devices, this
alleviates many of the Inefficiencies and imperfections caused by
manually operated devices. A user of the motorized device simply
inserts a digit or digits (i.e., individual fingers or toes or
groups of fingers or toes) into an aperture at one end of the
device. Within the device an internal chamber will properly align
the at least one digit such that it will be properly positioned for
a motorized surface to displace and provide the desired adapting.
Either automatically or upon a user's command the device will
provide power from a power source to the motor which will cause the
surface to move and perform the desired adapting. This can be, for
example causing a file to move back and forth across the edge of a
nail to achieve a rounded lateral or vertical surface, causing a
cutter to follow an outline of a portion of nail exposed beyond a
digit cup and cut off a portion of a nail, or many other examples
that will follow.
[0003] Such a motorized device can be adjusted to provide various
results from the same surface. For example, cutting nails that are
short or long by adjusting the amount of nail exposed to a cutting
surface, or adjusting a filing surface speed of motion to provide
tunable course/ fine filing.
[0004] The motorized device can be portable (i.e., powered by a
removable battery power source). It can also be adapted to make
adjustments on different kinds of nails (i.e., long, short, human,
animal, etc.).
[0005] The invention includes, in one aspect a device for altering
a nail on a digit which includes: a housing having at least one
aperture at one end for the insertion of at least one digit; an
internal chamber for receipt and alignment of the at least one
digit; a surface for optionally altering at least a portion of the
nail; a motor for displacing the surface to effectuate the
adapting; and a power source for supplying power to the motor.
[0006] In one embodiment the internal chamber has a diameter at an
end closest to the aperture is larger than at the end closest to
the surface. In another embodiment the internal chamber is a
substantially cylindrical shape and a substantially conical
shape.
[0007] In another embodiment the internal chamber further includes
at least one displaceable guide for alignment of at least one
digit. The displaceable guide can be a flexible substance, a
spring-mounted displaceable portion, a bearing, a cushioning, and a
movable resistance generator.
[0008] The internal chamber can also have an opening at the end
opposite the aperture for exposing at least a portion of a
nail.
[0009] In other embodiments, a surface is part of a mechanism which
allows movement to effectuate nail alteration. The mechanism is
capable of displacement by, for example, a spring, a track, a belt,
an oscillator, a rotator, and a lever. The mechanism is effectuated
by a motor to displace the surface and effectuate alteration. The
mechanism can also include an adjustable portion for adjusting the
altering. The adjustable portion adjusts at least one of the
quantity, shape, size, speed, direction, movement and angle of the
altering.
[0010] In other embodiments, the device further comprises a
user-selectable function which controls the adjustable portion. The
surface further can be a grinding surface for filing a nail. The
surface can als be a cutting surface for cutting a nail. The
surface can also be a polishing surface for polishing a nail. The
surface is accessible and can be replaced upon excess wear.
[0011] The device can include a receptacle for receiving a portion
of the nail that is removed by the surface. The receptacle is
capable of access from the housing to enable disposal of said nail
portion.
[0012] In another aspect the invention includes a device for
altering a nail including: a housing having at least one aperture
at one end for the insertion of at least one digit; an internal
chamber for receipt and alignment of the at least one digit and
said nail; a surface for removing at least a portion of a nail; a
motor for displacing the surface to effectuate removing; and a
power source for supplying power to said motor.
[0013] Other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
illustrated by way of example of the principles of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a cross section view of the apparatus according
to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows an alternate view of section A; and
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a further apparatus according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] FIG. 1 depicts digit 1 having a nail 2. Digit 1 can be a
finger or toe. For the sake of example, in FIG. 1 nail 2 is a
fingernail. The digit 1 and fingernail 2 are inserted into device 3
via aperture 4. Device 3 can be cylindrical, oblong, rectangular,
or any other shape which allows insertion of a digit through an
aperture. Device 3 can also have a series of depressions along one
or more sides to enable better ease of gripping by a second hand. A
user can select settings for cutting, shaping, polishing, and/or
smoothing on control 5. Device 3 can also have automatic or
pre-programmed settings. Upon insertion of digit 1 and nail 2, the
user can activate the device 3 to function according to the
settings on control 5. Device 3 also includes a housing 6 for
batteries or any other power supply (i.e., a solar power supply)
known to one of skill in the art which powers device 3. At an end
of device 3 opposite aperture 4 there is an optionally removable
portion 7 which allows a user to open device 3 for removal of nail
detritus, cleaning, and/or repair of components inside device 3.
Upon insertion of digit 1 and fingernail 2, a user can cause
components (not depicted in FIG. 1) within device 3 perform filing,
cutting, shaping, polishing or any other alteration of fingernail 2
either automatically or by pressing a mechanism such as a
depressable or capacitative switch that is part of control S.
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a cross section view of the device 3 of FIG.
1. Digit 1 and nail 2 are inserted in device 3 through aperture 4
into an internal chamber 8. Internal chamber 8 can be substantially
cylindrical or can be conical such that its diameter at end 9 is
smaller than the diameter at aperture 4. This conical configuration
serves to properly align digit 1. and nail 2 to enable mechanism 11
to move over a portion of a surface of nail 2 and alter the shape,
size, contour, texture, and/or shine of a portion of nail 2. End 9
can contain a gap which allows a nail 2 to pass through while
retracting a portion of tissue from finger 1 being exposed to any
sharp or rough surface.
[0020] A user activates mechanism 11 either automatically when nail
2 is detected to be properly aligned or by activating control 5,
for example, by pressing a depressable or capcitative switch. Once
activated mechanism 2 files, cuts, shapes, polishes, or otherwise
alters a shape, size, contour, texture, or shine of nail 2 or
performs any other alteration known in the art to nail 2. Mechanism
11 can consist of a course filing surface, a mechanical filing
surface, a polishing surface, a mechanical polishing surface, a
smoothing surface, a chemical polishing surface, a cutting surface,
a motorized cutting surface, or any combination or multiples
thereof. Mechanism 11 can include a still or moving surface which
alters its position as mechanism 11 is displaced at a rate
sufficient to effectuate the desired alteration of nail 2. If
mechanism 11 includes a moving surface it can either be
mechanically displaced upon movement of mechanism 11, for example
by gears, or can be motorized by an on-board motor, piezoelectric
device, rastering device, micro electro mechanical semiconductor
(MEMS) device, or any other device known in the art for moving a
surface of a mechanism in a way that will cause said surface to
alter a nail. If mechanism 11 includes an electrical device, it is
powered via power supply 12 which is connected by wire 13.
Mechanism 11 can also include its own on-board power supply.
[0021] The entirety of mechanism 11 can be displaced along track 10
to effectuate the alteration of nail 2. Track 10 is adjustable
based on, for example, control 5. Track 10 can be adjusted to
enable altering of nail 2 in a variety of ways. Track 10 can be a
spring, a track, a belt, an oscillator, a rotator, or a lever.
Mechanism 11 can contain a motor which moves it along track 10.
Upon the motor activating, mechanism 11 displaces along track 10
and causes a surface to move along a surface of nail 2 and alter
it. The speed, angle, direction, rate, and frequency of the motion
of mechanism 11 along track 10 influences the quantity of altering
of nail 2. For example, If insertion of finger 1 into chamber 8
aligns nail 2 to press firmly against a surface of mechanism 11,
and that surface includes a material which is course enough to file
nail 2, movement of mechanism 11 along track 10 will cause nail 2
to be filed or polished. If mechanism 11 moves along track 10
multiple times, the pressure of nail 2 on the surface will cause
filling until there is insufficient friction to alter the nail
further. If track 10 has a spring or elastic constant, mechanism 11
will only file until the pressure of the surface against nail 2,
based on the elastic or spring constant is great enough to alter
the nail. Thus cutting, shaping, filing, polishing or any other
altering of nail 2 can be preset to be active and also desist based
on the properties of track 10, friction properties of surface of
mechanism 11, the number of times mechanism 11 moves along track
10, or by any other means by which the altering takes place. This
enables control of the altering of nail 2 by adjusting the
position, elastic constant, spring constant, and/or shape of track
10, the speed, torque, angle, direction, or frequency of mechanism
11, the speed, direction, angle, rotation, material, or any other
property of surface 101 of mechanism 11.
[0022] Additionally, mechanism 11 can contain a surface 101 for
cutting nail 2. Such surface is sharp and strong enough to remove a
portion of nail 2 larger than by filing or polishing. Surface 101
can be a cutting edge, a rotational cutting edge, a clipper edge or
any other cutting mechanism known in the art for cutting a nail.
Thus when track 10 is altered and mechanism 11 is displaced along
track 10, it will alter how surface 101 cuts nail 2. For example,
if a user wishes only to remove the portion of nail 2 which extends
beyond the end of finger 1, device 3 can be designed such that
track 10 will alter its shape to along the end of finger 1 and
cause surface 101 on mechanism 11 to cut only the desired portion
of nail 2. This example can be an automated feature of device 3 or
a manual feature of device 3. Alternatively the adjustment of any
of the combination of the alignment of digit 1 and nail 2 in
chamber 8, the shape, position, elastic constant, or spring
constant of track 10, the speed, torque, angle, direction, or
frequency of mechanism 11, the speed, direction, angle, rotation,
material, or any other property of surface 101 of mechanism 11 will
alter the cutting of nail 2 based on the users desired outcome.
Mechanism 11 can also be displaced, for example, by a spring, a
belt, an oscillator, a rotator, and/or a lever.
[0023] FIG. 3 depicts a magnified view of section A in FIG. 2. Nail
2 extends beyond end 9 of internal chamber 8. Optional alignment
displaceable guide 15 assist in positioning and steadying nail 2
against any force provided by mechanism 11 on nail 2. Alignment
displaceable guide 15 can be formed of an elastic material such as
rubber, a flexible substance, a spring-mounted displaceable
portion, a bearing, a cushioning, and/or a movable resistance
generator. Alternatively alignment mechanisms 15 can be movable
along track 16 to enable proper positioning of nail 2 or adjustment
for various digit sizes or desired shaping and/or cutting.
[0024] To enable alteration of track 10 such that mechanism 11
shapes in a variety of ways when displaced along track 10, device 3
can include track altering extensions 14. These can moveably
displace track 10 which can be composed of a flexible material with
an elastic property, for example a spring, such that it will alter
how surface 101 cuts nail 2. For example, if a user wishes only to
remove the portion of nail 2 which extends beyond the end of finger
1, track altering extension 14 can extend toward the center of
device 3 such that it will decrease the radius of curvature of
track 10. So doing will cause the surface 101 on mechanism 11 to
remove only a desired portion of nail 2. If a user wishes to remove
a portion of nail 2 closer to end 9 of chamber 8, track altering
extensions 14 can retract to increase the radius of curvature of
track 10 which will cause the surface 101 on mechanism 11 to remove
a greater portion of nail 2. Track altering extensions 14 can be
manually or automatically extended and retracted based on a user's
desired result. Extension of track altering extensions 14 can
adjust at least one the quantity, shape, size, speed, direction,
movement and angle of the nail altering.
[0025] FIG. 4 depicts a device 3 having multiple apertures 4 to
enable contemporaneous insertion of more than one digit 1. Device 3
in FIG. 4 may have multiple mechanisms 11 and tracks 10 or can have
a single track 10 and mechanism 11 which is formed to move along
multiple digits 1. A user can program various settings on control 5
to enable desired shaping.
[0026] As described above, a device for altering a nail according
to embodiments of the present invention may be performed. While the
invention has been shown and described with reference to certain
exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be
made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *