US20080142405A1

US20080142405A1 - Nail polish removal implement kit

Info

Publication number: US20080142405A1
Application number: US11/638,957
Authority: US
Inventors: Lana F. Knapp; Kevin K. Knapp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2006-12-14
Publication date: 2008-06-19

Abstract

A nail polish removal implement kit having a nail polish removable implement (1) with a removable, porous applicator (3) securable on a semi-rigid support element (8) located on a first end (4) of a handle (2) and a receptacle (9). A plurality of ridges (6) are located on the handle first end (4) so as to maintain the applicator (3) on the first end (4) during use. The receptacle (9) has a T-shaped aperture (12) so as to permit the user to remove a used applicator (3) from the handle (2) without having to touch the used applicator (3).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to nail polish removal implements, more particularly, a nail polish removal implement kit that permit a person to quickly, easily and completely remove nail polish from a damaged fingernail or toenail without smudging or removing polish on his or her finished fingernails.
The act of giving a manicure or pedicure is truly an art. Great care must be taken during each step, from cleansing the fingernails or toenails, pushing back the nail cuticles, trimming the cuticles, trimming, buffing and filing the nails and, finally, painting the nails and allowing the nails to properly dry. Thus, a significant amount of time must be set aside in order to properly perform all of the steps necessary achieve beautiful fingernails and/or toenails.
Oftentimes, however, accidents occur wherein an already painted fingernail or toenail is either smudged or damaged. Although a person may return to the salon wherein he or she originally received the manicure or pedicure to have a person fix the smudged or damaged nail, it is often inconvenient to do so. In addition, a person must pay in order to have a person at the salon fix the nail. Thus, many individuals choose to fix the smudged or damaged nail himself or herself.
When fixing a smudged or damaged nail, the first step is to remove the nail polish that is already on the nail. A person typically soaks a cotton ball in nail polish remover, holds the soaked cotton ball in his or her fingers and wipes the cotton ball over the nail to be corrected to remove the nail polish. However, if one is fixing his or her own nail, it is oftentimes difficult to remove nail polish from the nail to be fixed without getting nail polish remover on the remaining nails, thereby smudging and removing the nail polish from the non-damaged other nails. Therefore, rather than fixing one nail, a person usually ends up giving or getting himself or herself a new manicure or pedicure.
In addition, it is oftentimes difficult to remove the nail polish entirely as cotton balls, paper towels, napkins, etc. are not rigid enough to remove the nail polish from the cuticle area of the nail. Although the remnants of the old nail polish color are not prominent when painting the nails from a light to dark color, the remnants are particularly noticeable when removing a dark nail polish color, such as red or burgandy, and painting the nails a lighter color.
Thus, a need exists for a nail polish removal implement that permit a person to quickly, easily and completely remove nail polish from a fingernail or toenail without smudging or removing nail polish on his or her fingernails.
The relevant prior art includes the following references:


Patent No.
(U.S. unless		Issue/
stated otherwise)	Inventor	Publication Date

4,155,139	Corcoran	May 22, 1979
3,105,263	Ginter	Oct. 01, 1963
6,035,859	Antonopoulos-McIvor	Mar. 14, 2000
2,841,809	Oliver	Jul. 08, 1958
6,523,717	Willemsen	Feb. 25, 2003
5,642,913	Brown	Jul. 01, 1997
6,575,172	Crosby	Jun. 10, 2003
5,331,709	Hudson	Jul. 26, 1994
6,405,735	Dockery	Jun. 18, 2002
GB 2 090 730	Williams	Jul. 21, 1982

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit that permit a user to remove nail polish from a fingernail and/or toenail without smudging or removing nail polish on the user's finished fingernails.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit that is easy to use.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit that may be used on fingernails and/or toenails of various sizes.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit that permits a user to completely remove nail polish from a nail, even around the cuticles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit having a removably attachable and disposable nail polish removal applicator.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a nail polish removal implement kit having a receptacle for easy disposal of the applicator.
The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a nail polish removal implement kit having a removable, porous applicator securable on a semi-rigid support element located on a first end of a handle and a specially-designed receptacle for receiving used applicators. A plurality of ridges are located on the handle first end so as to maintain the applicator on the first end during use.
To use the present invention, a user first soaks the applicator in nail polish remover or acetone. Then, while holding the handle, the user presses the applicator on the fingernail or toenail that is smudged or damaged and wipes the applicator over the nail so as to remove the nail polish. When the nail polish is removed, the user then inserts the applicator and a predetermined portion of the handle into a T-shaped aperture located on a specially-designed receptacle, slides the handle downward along the aperture and pulls the handle towards himself or herself so as to remove the applicator from the handle. Because the user is holding the handle during the use and disposal of the applicator, the user's fingernails do not come into contact with the nail polish remover or acetone.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a nail polish removal implement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a receptacle of the present invention for receiving an applicator from a nail polish removal implement; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a nail polish removal implement of the present invention in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is as follows:

- 1. nail polish removal implement, generally
- 2. handle
- 3. applicator
- 4. handle first end
- 5. handle second end
- 6. handle ridges
- 7. applicator aperture
- 8. support element
- 9. receptacle, generally
- 10. receptacle base
- 11. receptacle cover
- 12. receptacle aperture
- 13. damaged nail
- 14. finished fingernail
- 15. receptacle sides
- 16. cuticle
- 17. receptacle bottom
- 18. receptacle edge

With reference to FIG. 1, a plan view of a nail polish removal implement of the present invention is shown. The nail polish removal implement 1 comprises a handle 2 and a removable, porous applicator 3. The handle 2 has a first end 4 and a second end 5 wherein a semi-rigid support element 8 and at least one ridge 6 is located on the first end 4. The applicator 3 includes an aperture 7 so as to allow a user to insert and hold the support element 8 within the applicator 3. The ridges 4 also assist in maintaining the applicator 3 onto the handle 2. The support element 8 is preferably made of a thin, plastic material so as to be flexible, yet able to withstand a mild amount of pressure and has a predetermined shape. The applicator 3, which is preferably made of a high density foam so as to not crumble when used, is porous so as to absorb a predetermined amount of nail polish remover or acetone and is preferably wedge-shaped so as to permit the user to remove polish from the entire nail, including around the cuticles.
Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a perspective view of a receptacle of the present invention for receiving an applicator from a nail polish removal implement is shown. The receptacle 9 includes a receptacle base 10 having a plurality of sides 15 and a bottom 17 connected to one another via edges 17. The receptacle 9 may include an optional receptacle cover 11 so as to cover an open portion 19 of the receptacle 9. Located on at least one side 15 of the receptacle base 10 is a T-shaped receptacle aperture 12. The T-shaped receptacle aperture 12 is sized so as to easily permit a user to insert the applicator 3 and a portion of the handle 2 within the receptacle aperture 12.
In FIG. 3, a perspective view of a nail polish removal implement of the present invention in use is shown. To use the present invention, a user first, while holding the handle 2, inserts the support element 4 located on the first end 4 of the handle 2 into the applicator aperture 7 such that at least one ridge 6 is internally located within the applicator 3. Then, the user submerses the applicator 3 in nail polish remover or acetone or, in the alternative, pours the nail polish remover or acetone directly onto the applicator 3. The user then positions the wet applicator 3 onto the damaged nail 13, be it a fingernail or toenail, and wipes the applicator 3 across the damaged nail 13 to remove the nail polish. Because the support element 4 provides a semi-rigid yet flexible support, the user may apply light pressure to the applicator 3 in order to remove the nail polish from the damaged nail 13 and press the applicator 3 along the cuticle 15 of the damaged nail 13 in order to completely remove the nail polish.
When the nail polish from the damaged nail 13 is completely removed, the user inserts the applicator 3 and a portion of the handle 2 into the receptacle aperture 12, moves the handle 2 in a downward motion and pulls the handle 2 so as to remove the used applicator 3 from the handle, thereby disposing of the applicator 3 without having to touch the applicator 3. Because the user holds the handle 2 rather than the nail polish remover/acetone-soaked applicator 3 the entire time, the nail polish on the finished fingernails 14 of the user is not smudged or removed.
The applicators 3 and handles 2 of the present invention may be provided in a variety of sizes so as to accommodate varying fingernail and toenail sizes. In addition, the support element 8 may be of various shapes so as to accommodate specific areas of the nail, such as square for the base of the nail or rounded for the sides of a nail. Moreover, the handle 2 may be made of various materials according to its intended use, such as being made of wood to allow for disposability or stainless steel if the user intends to reuse the handle 2, as in the case of salons. Finally, the nail polish removal implements 1 may be sized in a miniature version and provided for in a package in order to be easily portable.
The use of the present invention will allow a person to quickly, easily and completely remove nail polish from a damaged nail without affecting the nail polish of a finished fingernail.
It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.

Claims

1. A nail polish removal implement kit comprising:

a handle having a first end and a second end;

said handle first end having at least one ridge; and

an applicator of a predetermined material removably attached to said support element.

2. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 1 further comprising:

a support element secured to said handle first end.

3. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 1 further comprising:

an aperture located in said applicator sized for the acceptance of said at least one ridge.

4. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 2 further comprising:

an aperture located in said applicator sized for the acceptance of said support element.

5. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 1 wherein:

said applicator predetermined material is high density foam.

6. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 2 wherein:

said applicator predetermined material is high density foam.

7. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 1 further comprising:

a receptacle having a base;

said base having at least three sides;

said base having a bottom with at least three edges;

said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges;

said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and

at least one aperture located on at least one side.

8. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 2 further comprising:

a receptacle having a base;

said base having at least three sides;

said base having a bottom with at least three edges;

said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges;

said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and

at least one aperture located on at least one side.

9. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 3 further comprising:

a receptacle having a base;

said base having at least three sides;

said base having a bottom with at least three edges;

said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges;

said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and

at least one aperture located on at least one side.

10. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 4 further comprising:

a receptacle having a base;

said base having at least three sides;

said base having a bottom with at least three edges;

said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges;

said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and

at least one aperture located on at least one side.

11. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 7 wherein:

said aperture on said side is T-shaped.

12. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 8 wherein:

said aperture on said side is T-shaped.

13. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 9 wherein:

said aperture on said side is T-shaped.

14. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 10 wherein:

said aperture on said side is T-shaped.

15. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 11 further comprising:

a cover removably attachable to said open portion of said receptacle base.

16. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 12 further comprising:

a cover removably attachable to said open portion of said receptacle base.

17. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 13 further comprising:

a cover removably attachable to said open portion of said receptacle base.

18. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 14 further comprising:

a cover removably attachable to said open portion of said receptacle base.

19. A nail polish removal implement kit comprising:

a handle having a first end and a second end;

said handle first end having at least one ridge;

a support element secured to said handle first end;

an applicator of a high density foam removably attached to said support element;

an aperture located in said applicator sized for the acceptance of said support element;

a receptacle having a base;

said base having at least three sides;

said base having a bottom with at least three edges;

said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges;

said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and

at least one aperture located on at least one side.

20. The nail polish removal implement kit of claim 19 wherein:

said aperture on said side is T-shaped.

21. A method of using a nail polish removal implement kit comprising a handle comprising a first end and a second end; said handle first end having at least one ridge; a support element secured to said handle first end; an applicator of a high density foam removably attached to said support element; an aperture located in said applicator sized for the acceptance of said support element; a receptacle having a base; said base having at least three sides; said base having a bottom with at least three edges; said three sides connected to said bottom along said at least three edges; said base having an open portion opposite said bottom; and at least one aperture located on at least one side, said method comprising steps of:

a. inserting said handle first end into said applicator aperture;

b. applying a predetermined amount of nail polish remover on said applicator;

c. wiping a damaged nail with said applicator to remove nail polish;

d. inserting said applicator into said aperture located on said base; and

e. removing said handle from said aperture located on said base.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said aperture located on said base is T-shaped and comprising a step after step d of:

moving said handle in a downward direction within said T-shaped aperture.