Pedicure chair footbath cover

Abstract

The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover is a cover for the footbath portion of a pedicure chair providing the means to keep the footbath sanitary and free from debris after proper sanitation of the footbath has been completed. It will also provide a sturdy, safe surface upon which a nail dryer can be placed in front of a nail client for drying polish on the toes once the pedicure is complete. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover can be custom made depending on the type of pedicure chair, color and location of external fixtures.

Description

As a licensed nail technician, I have learned that there are 3 major concerns that have to be addressed by every solon owner/technician; sanitation, safety, and convenience. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover addresses all of these concerns. This cover allows the solon technician to sanitize and cover the footbath tub, which eliminates the possibility of dust, debris, and other foreign objects collecting in the bottom. Once the footbath is drained, the technician can place this cover over the tub area which creates a platform for a nail dryer to be placed. This increases both efficiency and safety because the client no longer has to get out of the chair and walk across the floor with wet feet or freshly painted toes because they can remain seated until their services are complete.

The design and utility patent I am applying for is for a cover for the footbath portion of the whirlpool pedicure chairs. These chairs are very popular and you can find them in almost every modern salon in the nation, if not the world.

My name is Dyan Coleman Suitt. I am the owner of a small salon, of which I am the only employee. I have been a licensed nail technician for over 6 years. When the pedicure chairs came out, I was very skeptical of them. This was mostly due to the lack of sanitation they seemed to provide. After several years of research, I decided to purchase one. I later realized there was another problem. First of all, how did I keep debris from getting into the footbath portion once I had sanitized it? There is nail dust and debris from client traffic constantly floating in the air and coating other areas of my room. The second problem I encountered was my clients walking across my hardwood floor with clean but slippery feet after their pedicure to dry their toes at my drying station.

After searching on the web and in catalogs, I determined there was not a cover out there for my chair to fit snuggly around the attachments to the chair that was completely sanitizable. My husband and I decided to make a cover out of wood and cover it in laminate to prevent moisture build up. The “prototype” is wood based with a laminate cover. The grooves cut in it to fit around the shape of the attachments and the chair prevents slipping, as well as rubber trim on the underside for increased safety.

This solved 2 problems: sanitation protection and safety, as well as convenience for my clients. In addition, it became evident that the cover saved me some time as I can sanitize the footbath underneath the cover (running a cycle of disinfecting solution through the whirlpool cycle for 20 minutes) while my clients dry their nails. They also benefit from the longer massage from my massage chair while they dry, instead of having to move. This is especially beneficial for elderly and overweight clients. I have received positive feedback from each and every one of my clients. I feel that other salons would benefit from this product and it would conform to Sanitation Regulations we should all be following.

The pictures that follow are of my particular cover for the brand of chair I have in my room. The only changes that would be necessary to this design would be the different placements of the attachments on different styles of chairs. I would obviously have to get the dimensions from each potential buyer of their specific chair and each would be custom made in the color they desired. The width and depth my slightly vary. Mostly they would be very close in size. The design and utility patent would protect us from misuse of this product.

I, Dyan Coleman Suitt have invented a design for a sanitary pedicure chair footbath cover. The claimed footbath cover can be used to cover specific footbath portions of different pedicure chairs, providing safety, comfort, sanitation and convenience to clients of the nail industry. FIG. 1 shows my chair from an overhead view. As you can see, the footbath portion of the chair is securely covered. The wooden inner portion makes this cover very sturdy. My children have tested its sturdiness! FIG. 2 shows the cover removed from the footbath. This shows the different parts we cut out to fit my chair specifically. This enables the cover to be slid underneath the client while they are still seated. FIG. 3 is an overview of the footbath itself. FIG. 4 is a view from the side of the chair. This shows another view of the cover and how securely it fits on top of the footbath.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and different variations will be necessary to fit different chairs and their components. The figures shown are to illustrate the elements and features of the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover and its usage.

FIG. 1 is the top view of the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover.

FIG. 2 is the bottom view of the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover with the rubber strips placed vertically on each side of the surface to prevent slippage.

FIG. 3 is the side view of the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover.

FIG. 4 is the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover placed over the open portion of the footbath on a pedicure chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover is a cover designed for use in covering the open footbath portion of any pedicure footbath chair. It is made of wood with laminate covering or plastic core and covering. The cover can be slightly altered depending on the model of chair, shape of the footbath opening and placement of external fixtures. The cover is placed over the footbath opening of the pedicure chair and extends to the outer edge of the footbath for stability, as seen in FIG. 4. FIG. 1 shows a top view of the footbath cover with places cut out to fit around the on/off whirlpool button, drain button and the spray nozzle. FIG. 2 shows the same cover from the bottom. The cover in FIG. 2 has 2 pieces of rubber lining either side of the bottom to prevent the cover from slipping out of place. The sections cut out to fit around the fixtures aids in the cover staying in place as well. FIG. 3 shows the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover from the side to show the rubber strips on the bottom of the cover as well as the sturdiness of the cover itself.

The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover performs 2 very important functions. When the footbath is properly sanitized according to manufacturer's and state specifications, the cover can be placed over the footbath to ensure that sanitation can be maintained in between clients. The cover will also keep debris such as dust and lint out of the footbath while it is covered. The second important function of the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover is to provide a sturdy, sanitizable surface upon which to dry a client's toenails once polished. The client can stay seated while to footbath cover is placed over the opening in the footbath (FIG. 4) and the dryer is then placed on top of the cover. The client can remain seated to dry their nails in the chair instead of walking across the room with wet nail polish and possibly slippery feet so as to avoid accidents in the salon.

Claims

1. I claim the utility patent for the Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover constructed of wood and laminate or plastic with rubber strips on the bottom surface for securely fitting over the open portion of a footbath.

2. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the core of the cover is constructed of wood for sturdiness and covered in laminate for ease in sanitation and ease of color variances.

3. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover is constructed of plastic for ease in sanitation and allowing for color variances.

4. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover is properly placed over the footbath with a laminate cover and rubber strips on the bottom to prevent slippage of the cover.

5. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover is placed over the footbath to allow the sanitized footbath to remain clean and free from debris

6. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover is used as a surface to place a nail dryer on to dry a pedicure client's toenail polish without the client having to move from the chair to a different station to dry.

7. The Pedicure Chair Footbath Cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the color and dimensions may vary according to type of chair, placement of external features on the footbath and actual size of the footbath portion of the pedicure chair.