Pedicure Sock and Uses Thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a sock for use after a pedicure. Various portions of the sock have been treated with a compound of the invention that protects the toenail polish and/or skin of the pedicure recipient.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Appln. No. 61/728,161 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to footwear for use during and after a pedicure, and methods of using such footwear.

BACKGROUND

Pedicures are typically performed in a salon or spa, and are costly and time consuming. During a pedicure, a foot may be treated with creams, lotions, hot wax or other skin conditioning softeners, all of which make walking difficult as they make the skin slippery and the foot tends to slide with each step. Further, one would not want to walk on carpet or put a sock on after such treatments as these items are absorbent and would tend to pull the creams, lotions, wax and conditioners out of the skin of the foot, negating or lessening their benefits.

Typically, a pedicure also includes painting the toenails of the foot with nail polish. Nail polish may require a minimum of one hour to dry, during which time it is important to prevent any material or foreign objects from contacting the freshly coated toenails. As is well known to individuals who obtain pedicures, even if the polish is dry to the touch, the polish can scratch easily should the individual attempt to wear shoes or inadvertently come into contact with another surface before the polish has cured to its final density and hardness.

To ensure that the nail polish and the professional look of a pedicure last as long as possible and have the best appearing presentation, it is often required that an individual spend a fairly large amount of time after the procedure protecting the nails and the nail polish from any possibility of damage to obtain the best results. Additionally, many pedicure recipients will want to obtain the greatest benefit from the creams, lotions, wax or conditioners applied to the feet during the pedicure.

Thus, pedicure recipients must be extra cautious about their feet, and particularly their toenails, for hours after a pedicure to ensure that the polish is completely dry before resuming normal activities in order to prevent any damage or imperfections in the polish, and to obtain the greatest benefit to their skin from the creams, lotions, wax or conditioners applied to the feet during the pedicure. Walking is difficult as any contact of the feet to another object can result in polish damage such as, but not limited to, smearing or streaking or other unintended removal of a portion of the polish. Traditional footwear and socks will cause damage to the polish because of their direct contact with the toes. Open-toed shoes are often used after a pedicure, but are not practical for all weather conditions and may also expose the polish to particulate imperfections such as dust or dirt, which can become lodged in the polish, spoiling its surface properties. All of these inconveniences lead to a feeling of immobilization after one's toenails are painted, and may lead to less productivity for the individual as normal movement is difficult. Further, the diligence required after a pedicure to appreciate the full benefits of a pedicure deters busy individuals from having regular pedicures.

Therefore, there is a need for easy and effective footwear that protects the benefits of a pedicure while allowing the pedicure recipient a range of normal movement and activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sock, which may be reusable or disposable, that protects nail polish on the toenails after a pedicure.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in some embodiments, a pedicure sock which prevents the sock from absorbing oils, lotions, wax or skin conditioners that are applied to the foot during a pedicure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sock that allows the wearer to experience normal movement after a pedicure without causing damage to the polish or a loss of benefits from the pedicure treatments.

Additionally, the present invention provides a pedicure sock that may be worn in a shoe after a pedicure, such that the wearer may walk outside in all weather without causing damage to the polish or a loss of benefits from the pedicure treatments.

It is a further embodiment of the invention to provide a pedicure sock which has been treated with a silicone compound to protect the nail polish of the pedicure recipient and the benefits of the pedicure.

In some embodiments, the pedicure sock may cover the entire foot, up to the ankle. In other embodiments, the pedicure sock may only cover the heel, bottom portion of the foot (the sole), sides of the foot, and toes.

A method of protecting the toes and/or feet of a pedicure recipient is also provided. The method comprises: placing the toes of a newly pedicured foot into the toe portion of a pedicure sock of the present invention, inserting the remainder of the foot of the pedicure recipient into said sock, and wearing said sock.

An alternative method of protecting the toes and/or feet of a pedicure recipient comprises: rolling a pedicure sock of the present invention open such that only the toe portion of the sock is exposed, placing a the toes of a newly pedicured foot into the toe portion of said sock, unrolling the rest of said sock over the foot of the pedicure recipient up to the heel, ankle or lower leg, and wearing said sock.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Likewise, elements and features depicted in one drawing may be combined with elements and features depicted in additional drawings. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a top external view of an embodiment of a pedicure sock of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of a pedicure sock of the present invention showing (through shading) the interior areas of the sock where a protective compound of the invention may be applied.

FIG. 3A is an oblique view of an embodiment of a pedicure sock of the present invention showing (through shading) the interior areas of the sock where a protective compound of the invention may be applied. FIG. 3B is an alternative view of the pedicure sock of FIG. 3A in which the ankle and heel portion of the sock have been rolled to the toe portion of the sock.

FIG. 4 is an external side view of an alternative embodiment of a pedicure sock of the present invention showing (through shading) the interior areas of the sock where a protective compound of the invention may be applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, modifications to described elements below may be made without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pedicure sock 10 is shown. The pedicure sock 10 may be made from a variety of materials, including natural fabrics (e.g., cotton, cotton blends, wool, linen), or synthetic breathable materials (e.g., nylon, nylon blends), and the like. In one embodiment, the upper external portion 11 of the pedicure sock 10 includes an opening 12 for receiving a foot into the cavity of the sock 13. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the sock 10 may not include an opening 12, but rather the upper external portion 11 covers the entire top of the foot and extends to the heel, ankle, or above the ankle of the wearer.

Turning to FIG. 2, the pedicure sock 10 is shown with a cut away and shading to demonstrate the interior toe portion 20 of the sock. The interior toe portion 20 is in direct contact with the toes and toenails of the pedicure recipient. The interior toe portion 20 is treated with a compound of the invention. In one embodiment, only the area of the interior toe portion 20 that is in direct contact with the toenails of the pedicure recipient is treated with a compound of the invention. In another embodiment, the area of the interior toe portion 20 that is treated with a compound of the invention extends from the area that is in direct contact with the toenails of the pedicure recipient, around to the bottom and sides of the toes of the pedicure recipient.

The compounds of the invention are preferably silicone, which term includes silicone analogues and derivatives, including but not limited to siloxanes (e.g., dimethylsiloxanes, polydimethylsiloxanes, etc.) and silicones (e.g., amino functional silicones, methyl hydrogen silicones, epoxy and hydroxy functional silicones, silicone polyethers, etc.), and may include any mixture of a silicone (with other silicones or other compounds). In one example, the silicone is a silicone sealant or adhesive, such as Liquid Nails® Clear Small Projects Silicone Adhesive (information available at: www.liquidnails.com/products/product.jsp?productId=74) and Liquid Nails® Silicone Premium Universal Sealant (information available at: www.liquidnails.com/products/product.jsp?productId=13&d#details).

The compounds of the invention are applied to the interior toe portion 20 of the pedicure sock 10 and any other part of the pedicure sock 10 which may be desirable (for example, the interior sole 14 of the sock 10 or the entire interior portion of the pedicure sock 10 (shown by 21), which includes the interior sole 14). Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed the compounds of the invention permeate the fabric fibers of the pedicure sock 10 and create a protective barrier throughout the fabric. This barrier prevents the toes of the pedicure recipient (or sole of the foot or the entire foot, in some embodiments) from coming into direct contact with the fabric and protects the toe polish from damage, smearing, or chipping. Further, this barrier also prevents the creams, lotions, hot wax or other skin conditioning softeners from being absorbed by the fabric of the pedicure sock 10 when applied to the entire interior portion 21 of the pedicure sock 10 or just the interior sole 14 of the pedicure sock 10, thus enhancing the benefits of any oils, lotions, wax or skin conditioners that are applied to the foot during the pedicure.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the foot may be carefully inserted into the sock 10 through the opening 12 into the cavity 13 such that the toes of the pedicure recipient are only in contact with the interior toe portion 20 of the sock 10 and not in contact with either the upper exterior portion 11 or any untreated interior portion 21 (including the interior sole 14) of the sock 10. In an alternative embodiment, the sock 10 may not include an untreated interior portion 21, but rather the entire interior portion 21 (including the interior sole 14) of the sock 10 has been treated with the compound used to treat the interior toe portion 20 of the sock. In yet another alternative embodiment, only the interior toe portion 20 and the interior sole 14 of the sock 10 have been treated with a compound of the invention.

In yet another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3A, the pedicure sock 10 includes an ankle portion 30. In this figure, the heel portion 31 of the sock 10 is also visible. In this embodiment, any untreated interior portion 21 of the pedicure sock must not come into contact with the toenails of the pedicure recipient. Thus, in this embodiment the ankle portion 30 and heel portion 31 may be rolled such that the interior toe portion 20 is exposed directly to the outside of the sock 10 as shown in FIG. 3B. In this manner, the toes of the pedicure recipient may be inserted into the opening 40 of the rolled sock 10 such that the toes are only in contact with the interior toe portion 20 of the sock and not in contact with any untreated interior portion 21 of the sock. After the pedicure recipient has carefully inserted his or her toes into the opening 40, the pedicure sock 10 may be unrolled over the foot to resume the form shown in FIG. 3A.

In one alternative of this embodiment, both the interior toe portion 20 and the interior sole 14 of the sock 10 have been treated with a compound of the invention, thus preventing the creams, lotions, hot wax or other skin conditioning softeners that have been applied to the sole of the foot of the pedicure recipient from being absorbed by the fabric of the pedicure sock 10.

Alternatively, as discussed above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the sock 10 may not include any untreated interior portion 21, but rather the entire interior portion 21 (including the interior sole 14) of the sock 10 has been treated with a compound of the invention. Thus the pedicure recipient may slide his or her foot into the sock 10 without rolling the sock 10 up as shown in FIG. 3B. Additionally, in this embodiment, creams, lotions, hot wax or other skin conditioning softeners that have been applied to the entire foot of the pedicure recipient are prevented from being absorbed by the fabric of the pedicure sock 10.

FIG. 4 provides an alternative side view of the pedicure sock 10 of the present invention. In this figure, the interior toe portion 20 of the invention can be seen and the interior sole 14 of the pedicure sock 10 is shown. As discussed above, the foot may be carefully inserted into the sock 10 through the opening 12 into the cavity 13 such that the toes of the pedicure recipient are only in contact with the interior toe portion 20 of the sock 10 and not in contact with either the upper exterior portion 11 or any untreated interior portion 21 of the sock 10.

The contents of the articles, patents, and patent applications, and all other documents and electronically available information mentioned or cited herein, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Applicants reserve the right to physically incorporate into this application any and all materials and information from any such articles, patents, patent applications, or other documents.

The inventions illustratively described herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations, not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, the terms “comprising”, “including,” containing”, etc. shall be read expansively and without limitation. Additionally, the terms and expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the inventions embodied therein herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

The invention has been described broadly and generically herein. Each of the narrower species and subgeneric groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of the invention. This includes the generic description of the invention with a proviso or negative limitation removing any subject matter from the genus, regardless of whether or not the excised material is specifically recited herein.

All of the compositions, objects and methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions, objects and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions, objects and methods and in the steps of the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain agents which are both chemically and physiologically related may be substituted for the agents described herein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Other embodiments are set forth within the following claims.

Claims

1. A sock for protecting a pedicure, comprising:

an interior toe portion that is in direct contact with the toenails of the wearer of said sock, wherein said interior toe portion prevents toenail polish from damage, smearing or chipping.

2. The sock of claim 1, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior toe portion.

3. The sock of claim 2, wherein said silicone or a mixture of a silicone is a silicone sealant or silicone adhesive.

4. The sock of claim 2, further comprising an interior sole portion, wherein said interior sole portion is in direct contact with the sole of the wearer, and wherein said interior sole portion prevents absorption of creams, oils, wax or conditioners by said sock.

5. The sock of claim 4, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior sole portion.

6. The sock of claim 2, further comprising an interior portion, wherein said interior portion is in direct contact with the sole, sides, heel and top of the foot of the wearer, and wherein said interior portion prevents absorption of creams, oils, wax or conditioners by said sock.

7. The sock of claim 6, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior portion.

8. The sock of claim 2, 4 or 6, further comprising an ankle portion, wherein said ankle portion covers the ankle of the wearer.

9. The sock of claim 1, wherein said sock is reusable.

10. The sock of claim 1, wherein said sock is disposable.

11. A method for protecting a pedicure, comprising:

placing the toes of a newly pedicured foot into the interior toe portion of a pedicure sock, wherein said interior toe portion is in direct contact with the toenails of the newly pedicured foot, and wherein said interior toe portion prevents toenail polish from damage, smearing or chipping,

inserting the remainder of the foot of a pedicure recipient into said sock, and

wearing said sock.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior toe portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said silicone or a mixture of a silicone is a silicone sealant or silicone adhesive.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said pedicure sock further comprises an interior sole portion, wherein said interior sole portion is in direct contact with the sole of the pedicured foot, and wherein said interior sole portion prevents absorption of creams, oils, wax or conditioners by said sock.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior sole portion.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said pedicure sock further comprises an interior portion, wherein said interior portion is in direct contact with the sole, sides, heel and top of the pedicured foot, and wherein said interior portion prevents absorption of creams, oils, wax or conditioners by said sock.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a silicone or a mixture of a silicone has been applied to said interior portion.

18. The method of claim 12, 14 or 16, wherein said pedicure sock further comprises an ankle portion, wherein said ankle portion covers the ankle of the pedicured foot.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said pedicure sock is reusable.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said pedicure sock is disposable.