Magnetic nail file and method of fabricating same

Abstract

The nail file includes a magnetized material layer and an abrasive surface. The magnetized material may be the base of a metal nail file or a magnetized layer in an emery board. In the latter case, the abrasive surface may be proximate one or both sides of the magnetized layer. A base layer may be interposed between the magnetized layer and abrasive surface.

Description

DESCRIPTION OR PRIOR ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED UNDER 37 CFR 1.97 AND 1.98

Finger nail files made of metal or of nonmetallic materials such as cardboard or wood, the latter commonly known as “emery boards” because of the use of emery minerals to form the abrasive surface, are widely known and used. However, none have been formed of magnetic material so that they can be removably attached to a metal surface and therefore be readily accessible when needed.

For example, finger nails are often broken in the office during the course of inserting documents into or retrieving documents from a metal file cabinet, or at home while working in the kitchen. It would be extremely handy to have a finger nail file removably attached to the exterior surface of the file cabinet draw or the outside of the refrigerator door in such instances. However, conventional finger nail files do not have that capability.

Further, emery boards provide a heretofore unused medium for displaying graphics for decorative purposes. They also constitute an excellent means for carrying advertising graphics and/or text, such as company logos, making them ideal for use as promotional items because of their low cost. Being able to removably attach such decorative or advertising emery boards to metallic surfaces would considerably enhance their utility.

Accordingly, there appears to be a real need for a magnetic nail file and particularly for a magnetic emery board type nail file that is decorative or promotional in nature.

It is therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board formed of a magnetic layer and an abrasive layer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board formed of a magnetic layer and an abrasive layer, with a base layer interposed therebetween.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board formed of a magnetic layer interposed between abrasive layers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board which includes a decorative surface.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board which includes a surface carrying advertising graphics and/or text.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic nail file in the form of an emery board which can be used as a promotional item.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the aforementioned objects are achieved in the present invention by forming the nail file at least partially of magnetic material and providing a surface coated with an abrasive. The abrasive surface can be formed of abrasive particles on a substantially transparent substrate. A base layer may be provided to which the abrasive surface is attached. The abrasive surface or the base layer may be imprinted with graphics and/or text for decorative or promotional purposes.

More specifically, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a magnetic nail file is provided including magnetic material and an abrasive surface. The file may also include an imprinted surface.

The magnetic material is preferably formed of magnetized metal.

The magnetic material may form a magnetic layer. The abrasive surface may be part of an abrasive layer. A base layer may be interposed between the magnetic layer and the abrasive layer.

A second abrasive surface may also be provided. The abrasive surfaces may be situated on opposite sides of the magnetic material.

The abrasive layer preferably includes abrasive coated paper or abrasive coated polyester film. The paper or film may constitute the imprinted surface.

The film may substantially transparent. In that case, the base layer may constitute the imprinted surface which would be visible through the substantially transparent film.

The base layer may be formed of foam, polystyrene, wood veneer, fiberglass or paper.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is presented for fabricating a magnetic nail file. The method includes the steps of forming a layer including magnetic material, forming a layer with an abrasive surface and attaching the layers.

The step of attaching the layers includes joining the layers with adhesive.

The method further includes the steps of forming a base layer and interposing the base layer between the magnetic material layer and the abrasive layer.

The method further includes the steps of forming a second abrasive layer and interposing the magnetic material layer between the abrasive layers.

The method further includes the step of imprinting a surface of the abrasive layer or of the base layer.

The step of forming the abrasive layer includes the steps of forming an abrasive surface by embedding grit particles in latex, coating the latex embedded particles onto a woven fabric and electrostatically charging the latex embedded particles on the woven fabric.

The step of forming the abrasive layer includes the step of forming an abrasive surface on a substrate.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is presented for fabricating a magnetic nail file. The method includes the steps of forming a metallic layer, magnetizing the metallic layer and forming an abrasive surface on the magnetized metallic layer.

The method further includes the step of forming abrasive surfaces on both sides of the magnetized metallic layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a magnetic nail file and method for fabricating same, as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a metallic embodiment of the nail file of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view the first version of the emery board type embodiment of the nail file in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the emery board type nail file illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of a second version of the emery board embodiment of the nail file of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the metallic embodiment of the present invention, generally designated A. As seen in FIG. 1, nail file A consists of a base 10, formed of a metal that has been magnetized. Base 10 preferably has an elongated, generally rectangular configuration with rounded ends. Base 10 has upper and lower surfaces 12, 14. One or both of the surfaces 12, 14 are provided with an abrasive surface formed of plurality of closely spaced, fine teeth 16, as is customary for a conventional metallic nail file.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a first version of the emery board type embodiment of the present invention, generally designated B. As seen in the drawings, nail file B includes three layers. Layer 20 consists in whole or in part of magnetic material, such as magnetized metal. Layer 22 includes an abrasive surface. A base layer 26 is interposed between layers 20 and 22 to provide strength and rigidity. Layers 20, 22 and 26 are attached to each other by an adhesive in order to form a multi-layer unit which is the die cut to the desired size and shape.

The abrasive surface of layer 22 may be formed of grit particles 24 on a substrate 28. Particles 24 may consist of or include any emery mineral, such as corundum, garnet, flint or glass. However, it is preferable that particles 24 be made of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide.

In one preferred method of forming the abrasive surface, particles 24 are embedded in latex. The latex embedded particles are coated onto a woven fabric that is then electostatically charged to cause the particles to stand up such that they “wave” back and forth in the latex. Particles 24 preferably have a grit range of from 60 to 12,000.

Substrate 28 may be formed of paper, such as a waterproof paper that is resin coated or impregnated. However, substrate 28 also can be formed of “dry” craft paper. Either type of substrate can be imprinted using a dye sublimation transfer process, silk screening, or pad printing. If craft paper is used, it can be printed and then coated.

Alternatively, substrate 28 can be formed of a thin film. Suitable films for this purpose are transparent, translucent or colored polyester or DuPont Mylar.

The layers are attached together using a thin layer of adhesive. The adhesive used to attach the layers may be any acrylic or rubber based, coated or pressure sensitive adhesive. However, other conventional attaching methods may be used as well.

Base layer 26 can be made of a foam material, which may have a thickness in the range of from 1/32^nd to ¼ inch. Alternatively, layer 26 could be made of high impact polystyrene that is about 1/16 inches thick or of a wood veneer with a thickness range from 1/24to 1/20 inches. Other possibilities include fiberglass and decorated paper.

Base layer 26 could also consist of two or more attached sublayers. Those sublayers could be formed of any of the previously mentioned materials, or of a combination thereof.

Instead of printing or decorating the abrasive substrate of layer 22, the substrate could be formed of transparent or translucent film and the surface of layer 26 facing layer 22 could be imprinted with graphics and/or text or otherwise decorated.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second version of the emery board type embodiment of the present invention, generally designated C. Nail file C includes a layer 20′ made in whole or in part of a magnetized material. Layer 20′ is interposed between two abrasive layers 22′, each having a surface formed of abrasive particles 24′ on a substrate 28′. The substrate 28′ in each of the layers 22′ may be imprinted or decorated. Thus, nail file C will have abrasive surfaces on both sides, one or both of which may be imprinted and/or decorated.

It will now be appreciated that the present invention relates to a magnetic nail file, which may be of the metallic or emery board type. One or both sides of the file are provided with abrasive surfaces. One or both of the sides of the file may be imprinted with graphic and/or text materials or decorated in other ways. The metallic embodiment is made in whole or in part of magnetized metal that has an abrasive surface on one or both sides. The emery board type embodiment consists of multiple layers, at least one of which includes magnetized material and one of which has an abrasive surface. In one version, a base layer is interposed between the layer with the abrasive surface and the magnetized material layer. In a second version, the magnetic layer is interposed between layers with abrasive surfaces.

While only a limited number of preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A magnetic nail file comprising magnetized material and an abrasive surface.

2. The file of claim 1 wherein said magnetized material is metal.

3. The file of claim 1 wherein said magnetized material comprises a magnetized layer.

4. The file of claim 1 wherein said abrasive surface comprises an abrasive layer.

5. The file of claim 3 wherein said abrasive surface comprises an abrasive layer.

6. The file of claim 5 further comprising a base layer interposed between said magnetized layer and said abrasive layer.

7. The file of claim 1 further comprising a second abrasive surface.

8. The file of said 7 wherein said magnetized material is interposed between said abrasive surfaces.

9. The file of claim 5 wherein said abrasive surface comprises a second abrasive layer.

10. The file of claim 9 wherein said magnetized material is interposed between said abrasive layers.

11. The file of claim 4 wherein said abrasive layer comprises abrasive coated paper.

12. The file of claim 4 wherein said abrasive layer comprises abrasive coated polyester film.

13. The file of claim 11 wherein said paper comprises an imprinted surface.

14. The file of claim 12 wherein said film comprises an imprinted surface.

15. The file of claim 12 wherein said film is substantially transparent.

16. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises an imprinted surface.

17. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises foam.

18. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises polystyrene.

19. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises wood veneer.

20. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises fiberglass.

21. The file of claim 6 wherein said base layer comprises paper.

22. The file of claim 1 further comprising an imprinted surface.

23. A method for fabricating a magnetized nail file comprising the steps of forming a layer comprising magnetized material, forming a layer with an abrasive surface and attaching the layers.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said step of attaching the layers comprises the step of joining the layers with adhesive.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of forming a base layer and interposing the base layer between the magnetized material layer and the abrasive layer.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of imprinting a surface of the base layer.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of imprinting the abrasive surface.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of forming the layer with the abrasive surface comprises the steps of forming an abrasive surface by embedding grit particles in latex, coating the latex embedded particles onto a woven fabric and electrostatically charging the latex embedded particles on the woven fabric.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of forming the layer with the abrasive surface comprises the steps of forming an abrasive surface on a substrate.

30. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of forming a second layer with an abrasive surface and interposing the magnetic material layer between the layers with the abrasive surfaces.

31. A method for fabricating a magnetized nail file comprising the steps of forming a metallic layer, magnetizing the metallic layer and forming an abrasive surface on the magnetized metallic layer.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of forming abrasive surfaces on both sides of the magnetized metallic layer.