Press-on nail polish device and kit

Abstract

A press-on nail polish device comprises a conformable thin plastic element having an area and shape approximating the area and shape of a nail. The thin element has an adhesive of a strength to firmly hold the element to a nail, but to enable the element to be peeled away from a nail when desired. A kit comprises a plurality of the thin elements in contact with one release backing. A plurality of the release backings can be provided along with an emery board, orange stick and alcohol wipes.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/505,030 filed on Sep. 24, 2003, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for providing nail color and, more particularly, to a device and kit for quickly producing dry color on nails.

Typical products for producing color and/or designs on fingernails, toenails and the like involve the brushing on of paints and/or other chemicals. These products involve drying time, chemical smells and the potential for spilling containers of liquids that are very difficult or even impossible to clean up. Furthermore, the removal of such products from the nails involves some time, as well as more chemical smells and further potential for spilling and staining.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By the present invention, a device is provided which provides color for nails quickly, without the need for drying time, chemical smells and the potential for spills and stains. Furthermore, when it is desired to remove the color and/or designs from the nails, the device peels away instantly.

The advantages of the present invention are provided by a thin element of a plastics material that conforms easily to a nail and has a minimal tendency to return toward a non-conforming shape and thereby pull away from a nail. The thin element has a shape and area conforming to the shape and area of a nail. A preferred shape has rectilinear parallel lateral edges and curving end edges. One of the sides of a thin element has a dry, pressure-sensitive adhesive of sufficient strength to firmly hold the element to a nail, but insufficient strength to prevent the element from being peeled away from the nail when desired. The side of the nail opposite the adhesive has a color simulating nail polish. Almost any color is possible and the colors can be solid or patterned, with a high-gloss finish like that of conventional nail polish. In addition, designs can be provided on the color side.

A preferred plastics material is PVC (polyvinyl chloride) film having a thickness in the range of approximately 1.5 mils to approximately 2.5 mils, especially approximately 2 mils. It has been found that PVC film which has been cast has a smaller tendency to pull away from a nail after conforming to it than does a PVC film that has been calendered. Calendered PVC film of the same thickness is suitable for the present invention, but cast PVC film is superior to it. The thin element of plastics sheet material is trimmable with an emery board after being applied to a nail. The thin element can also be cut with a scissors, if desired.

The adhesive, which is dry, adheres to a nail upon contact, firmly securing the thin element to the nail. However, the adhesive releases easily and completely, so that the thin element can be peeled away from the nail, leaving no adhesive behind. The adhesive is also non-damaging to the nail. It is resistant to most oils, solvents, mild acids, alkalines and salts.

The nail polish device of the present invention also includes a backing that is peelable from the adhesive. A suitable backing is a silicon coated release paper.

Also according to the present invention, an instant nail polish kit comprising a plurality of the thin elements described above is provided. A plurality of such thin elements are in contact with the same release backing sheet, so as to be held together for use at the same time. The thin elements on one release backing have various areas, that is, various sizes, to approximate the areas of nails of different sizes. Furthermore, a plurality of such release backings can be provided in a kit, each release backing having adhered to it a plurality of thin elements in various sizes, all of the thin elements having the same color or design as one another. Each of the release backings can have thin elements of a color or design different from the color or design of the thin elements of the other release backings. The kit can also include one or more emery boards, orange sticks and alcohol wipes, the wipes preferably being contained in their own packet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a nail polish device of the present invention about to be positioned on a fingernail;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a nail polish kit of the present invention, comprising a plurality of the nail polish devices of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a larger kit according to the present invention, comprising the kit of FIG. 2 and other elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the nail polish device of the present invention, which is designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is designed to be applied to a fingernail 12, as well as to toenails and other surfaces.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 1, and from FIG. 2, which shows a plurality of nail polish devices 10 of different sizes, the nail polish device 10 of the present invention comprises a thin element 14. The thin element 14 conforms easily to a nail 12 and has a minimal tendency to return toward a non-conforming shape by which it would have a tendency to pull away from a nail. One of the sides of a thin element 14 has a layer of an adhesive 16 of sufficient strength to firmly hold the element 14 to a nail 12, but insufficient strength to prevent the element from being peeled away easily from the nail when desired. The side of the thin element 14 opposite the adhesive has a color simulating nail polish. Almost any color is possible, and the colors can be solid or patterned, with a high-gloss finish like that of conventional nail polish. In addition, designs can be provided on the color side.

A material that has been found suitable for the thin element 14 is a plastics material, more specifically, a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) film having a thickness in the range of approximately 1.5 mils to approximately 2.5 mils, especially approximately 2 mils.

The nail polish device 10 has a shape and area approximating the shape and area of a nail. In a preferred shape, the device 10 has rectilinear parallel lateral edges 18 and curving end edges 20.

The adhesive 16 is dry and adheres to a nail upon contact, firmly securing the device 10 to the nail. However, the adhesive 16 releases easily and completely, so that the device 10 can be peeled away from the nail, leaving no adhesive behind. The adhesive 16 is also non-damaging to the nail. It is resistant to most oils, solvents, mild acids, alkalines and salts. A clear, solvent based acrylic adhesive is suitable. Such a suitable adhesive can have an adhesive power, for example, such that after 24 hours on stainless steel the adhesive power is about 4.1 pounds per square inch.

The nail polish device of the present invention also includes a backing 22 from which the nail polish device 10, including the adhesive 12 is peelable. A suitable backing 22 is a silicon coated release paper.

Also according to the present invention, a press-on nail polish kit 30 comprising a plurality of the nail polish devices 10 described above is provided. A plurality of such devices 10 are in contact with the same release backing sheet 22, so as to be held together for use at the same time. The devices 10 on one release backing 22 have various areas, that is, various sizes, to approximate the areas of different nails. In this regard, the width dimension of the devices 10 of the illustrated embodiment, that is, the dimension from one lateral edge 18 to the other, varies. Furthermore, at least two devices 10 of each size are provided. In the illustrated embodiment of the kit 30, three devices 10 of each size are provided, and there are eleven sizes.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 3, a plurality of the release backings 22 can be provided in a larger kit 34, each backing sheet 22 having adhered to it a plurality of the devices 10 in various sizes, all of the devices 10 on one sheet 22 having the same color or design as one another. Each of the backing sheets 22 can have devices 10 of a color or design different from the color or design of the devices 10 of the other backing sheets of the kit 34. The kit can also include one or more emery boards 36, orange sticks 38 and alcohol wipes 40. The alcohol wipes 40 can be contained in their own container 42. By “orange stick” is meant a device for pushing back cuticle around nails.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is contemplated that variations and/or changes in the embodiments illustrated and described herein may be made without departure from the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing description is illustrative only, not limiting, and that the true spirit and scope of the present invention will be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A press-on nail polish device comprising:

a thin element having an area and shape approximating the area and shape of a nail, the element being made of a plastic sheet material and being conformable to a nail, the element having opposite sides, and, on one of the sides, an adhesive of a strength to firmly hold the element to a nail, but to enable the element to be peeled away from a nail when desired.

2. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, wherein the element has on the other of its sides a color having a high-gloss finish.

3. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, wherein the element is made of a PVC film.

4. The press-on nail polish device of claim 3, wherein the element has a thickness in the range of approximately 1.5 mils to approximately 2.5 mils.

5. The press-on nail polish device of claim 4, wherein the element has a thickness of approximately 2 mils.

6. The press-on nail polish device of claim 3, wherein the PVC film is a cast PVC film.

7. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, wherein the thin element is trimmable with an emery board when the thin element is adhered to a nail.

8. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, wherein the shape of the thin element comprises rectilinear parallel lateral edges and curving end edges.

9. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive adheres to a nail upon contact with the nail.

10. The press-on nail polish device of claim 1, further comprising a release backing in contact with the adhesive, wherein the thin element, including the adhesive, is peelable from the backing.

11. A press-on nail polish kit comprising:

a plurality of thin elements, each thin element having an area and shape approximating the area and shape of a nail, the element being made of a plastic sheet material and being conformable to a nail, the element having opposite sides, and, on one of the sides, an adhesive of a strength to firmly hold the element to a nail, but to enable the element to be peeled away from a nail when desired.

12. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 11, wherein each element has on the other of its sides a color having a high-gloss finish.

13. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 11, wherein each element is made of a PVC film.

14. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 13, wherein each element has a thickness in the range of approximately 1.5 mils to approximately 2.5 mils.

15. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 14, wherein the PVC film is a cast PVC film.

16. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 11, wherein each thin element is trimmable with an emery board when each thin element is adhered to a nail.

17. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 11, wherein the shape of each thin element comprises rectilinear parallel lateral edges and curving end edges.

18. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 11, wherein the adhesive adheres to a nail upon contact with the nail.

19. The press-on nail polish device of claim 11, further comprising a release backing in contact with the adhesive, wherein each thin element, including the adhesive, is peelable from the backing.

20. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 19, wherein the adhesive of a plurality of the thin elements is in contact with the same release backing.

21. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 19, wherein some of the thin elements have different areas from one another, the areas of each of the nails of a human hand being approximated by at least two of the thin elements.

22. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 21, wherein the adhesive of a plurality of the thin elements is in contact with the same release backing.

23. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of said release backings, the plurality of the thin elements in contact with one of said release backings all having the same color or design as one another, the plurality of the thin elements in contact with another of said release backings all having the same color or design as one another, which is different from the color or design of the thin elements in contact with said one of said release backings.

24. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 23, further comprising an emery board.

25. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 23, further comprising at least one alcohol wipe.

26. The press-on nail polish kit of claim 23, further comprising an orange stick.