Abstract:
A nail coating removal wrap and retainer for securing a solvent pad to a digit of a user of a durable nail coating so that a solvent held by the pad is retained in contact with the nail coating to be removed. The nail coating removal wrap and retainer includes a wrap strip to which the solvent pad is bonded in a method impervious to the solvent held by the solvent pad. The wrap strip is selected or treated so that the wrap coheres to itself when wrapped around the digit of the user to releasably secure the wrap to the digit of the user while the solvent works to loosen the nail coating.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/424,372, filed Mar. 19, 2012, which claims the benefit of and priority to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/454,191, filed Mar. 18, 2011. The entire contents of the patent, applications, and publications identified above are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present application relates generally to a device for assisting in the removal of nail polishes from a user&#39;s hands or feet and more particularly is suited for use with new gel-based and UV cured nail coatings. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There is a growing trend in the beauty industry for natural nail manicures and pedicures. Several companies have introduced gel based nail covering to provide end-users with a long-lasting manicure or pedicure. These gel based nail coatings look like traditional nail polish but last longer. These coatings are typified by having a gel-like consistency when applied to a user&#39;s nails and then are cured in an ultra-violet (UV) light device. The curing device hardens the coating and results in a nail coating that dries quicker and is extremely durable once cured. Traditional nail coatings are air dried and must be protected for a period of time after application to prevent chipping until the polish has fully cured and dried. This curing and drying make take hours from the time of application. 
         [0004]    Leading the way were OPI Products, Inc. (OPI), and Creative Nail Design (CND), two manufactures that service the professional beauty market. CND launched Shellac™ in May of 2010, which has been very successful both with regard to their nail colors and UV curing lamps. The gel-based polish is more expensive than traditional polish, and the coat premium as compared to traditional polish can vary from salon to salon, (typically between 30-50% more). 
         [0005]    The advantages touted by manufacturers of the gel-based nail products are no drying time, chip-free and manicures holding up to  14  days or more. Regular nail polish dries by evaporation, which means a manicure or pedicure is not fully cured until 2-3 hours after the service. Unlike traditional nail polish, soak-off gel polish is “cured” under a UV light to dry after each coat. The typical usage of the gel-based nail coatings may include a base coat, two color coats and top coat and then lastly wiped down with alcohol to remove any tackiness. 
         [0006]    A soak-off gel by OPI called Axxium, comes currently in 35 shades. According to an article in the New York Times in April of 2010, Axxium is now in 5,000 salons, up from 250 salons in its first year. 
         [0007]    Removal of the gel polish does take longer. To remove a gel polish, acetone or another solvent needs to be in contact with the “nail plate” for 10 minutes. Sometimes, a nail technician has to scrape off gel residue from the nail plate. CND is currently selling a finger wrap for the soak-off process, however, that product is cumbersome when used on a client&#39;s fingers and nearly impossible to use on the toes for pedicures. 
         [0008]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in this summary and descriptions of the disclosed embodiment, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a nail coating removal wrap and retainer according to the present disclosure being placed about the fingernail of a client by an aesthetician. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a nail coating removal wrap and retainer. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a solvent pad of the nail coating removal wrap and retainer of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a bonding pattern for securing the solvent pad of  FIG. 3  to a nail coating removal wrap and retainer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a wrap strip of the nail coating removal and retainer of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    A nail coating removal wrap and retainer according to the present disclosure was developed through working with end-users to determine what is critical to quality for the nail technician and end-use client. The design of the present disclosure allows for a tight fit of pad and wrap to the finger, while allowing use of the client hands during wait time. Additionally, the design has been streamlined to remove complexity and shorten application time. 
         [0015]    The image in  FIG. 1  depicts a nail covering removal wrap according to the present disclosure that permits contact time, between a solvent and a nail coating to be removed, while maintaining the freedom of movement of the user&#39;s hands or feet while waiting for the appropriate dwell time. In  FIG. 1 , a nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  is shown being placed about a fingernail  4  of a client&#39;s finger  6  by the fingers of a nail technician or aesthetician  8 . Such a wrap and retainer according to the present disclosure may be used on either the hands or feet of a client, depending on whether the coating to be removed is on the fingernails or toenails of the client. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  which may include a wrap strip  10  and a solvent pad  12 . A pattern of bonds  14  may be used to secure pad  12  to wrap strip  10 . Wrap strip  10  may include a first end  16  adjacent the solvent pad and a second opposite end  18 . Preferably, wrap strip will have cohesive properties. When nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  is placed about a client&#39;s nail, the wrap preferably extends around the client&#39;s digit and overlaps itself. A single coated nail may be addressed with each nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2 . This will allow a nail technician or aesthetician to work on a single nail while the others are still being exposed to solvent. 
         [0017]    Having cohesive properties will permit the securing of the wrap strip about a client&#39;s nail without the need for any additional products. The wrap strip is simply wrapped over itself and it would adhere to itself to secure the wrap to the client&#39;s finger. The cohesive properties could come from the material itself, such as the cohesive wrap strip shown in  FIG. 1 . The material from which this wrap strip is made is a stretchable latex-free non-woven cohesive wrap similar to that used in medical wraps. No tape or additional clips, bands or other elements are required to keep the wrap strip about the client&#39;s fingertip. 
         [0018]    It is anticipated that other similarly cohesive woven and non-woven materials may be used for the wrap strip. If it is desired to have a wrap strip made of a different non-cohesive material, then a coating may be applied to wrap strip  10  adjacent second end  18  on the same side of the wrap strip as pad  12 , or adjacent first end  16  on a side opposite the pad. It may be desirable to have the coating on both ends of the wrap strip as well and such a construction is within the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0019]    Use of a cohesive wrap strip material and/or a wrap strip with a cohesive coating on one or both ends is desired so that nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  may be more easily handled by a user. It is also desirable to have the cohesive elements to be reusable. If nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  is placed on a client&#39;s fingernail for a certain period of time, the user may initially remove the wrap and discover that more contact or dwell time is needed to remove the nail coating. Having a reusable cohesive material will permit the user to rewrap nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  about the fingernail to give more dwell time to soften or loosen the coating. 
         [0020]    Solvent pad  12  is preferably selected for receiving an appropriate and effective solvent for loosening, softening and/or dissolving the adhesion between the nail and the coating. To use nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2 , pad  12  may be infused with the solvent and placed on the nail plate. With the pad in place, the wrap may be passed around the user&#39;s finger or toe to secure the pad in place. The self-adhesive nature of the wrap permits the user to secure the pad in the desired position for the necessary period of time. 
         [0021]    When sufficient time has passed, the wrap can be detached from itself and unwrapped from the finger or toe. The pad can then be removed from the user to determine if sufficient treatment has occurred for the removal of the covering. If the treatment has been sufficient the wrap can be discarded and the covering removed. If additional treatment is required, the wrap can be reapplied to the nail with or without the addition of any new solvent. 
         [0022]    It is anticipated that the wraps according the present disclosure may be made without any pre-applied solvent and sold dry to stylists to apply the desired brand, type or amount of solvent. It is also anticipated that wraps could be made with solvents pre-applied to simplify the steps for the stylist or salon personnel. It is also anticipated that the wraps may be sold either dry or pre-treated with solvent direct to consumers for personal use. 
         [0023]    In the illustrated example, pad  12  is preferably a poly backed  20  melt blown polypropylene material. Other suitable materials may be used which provide the ability to absorb and hold an adequate amount of solvent, resist being attacked or dissolved by the solvent, and also help to prevent the solvent from leaking through or evaporating through the back of the wrap strip when placed about a user&#39;s fingernail. It also desirable to have pad  12  selected to approximately match the size of the fingernail or toenail with coating to be removed. This will ensure limited exposure to the solvent with the user&#39;s skin adjacent the nail and allow for more efficient use of solvent. By ensuring that the solvent applied to the pad is maximally in contact with the nail coating to be removed, less solvent may be needed to remove the coating. 
         [0024]    The illustrated nail coating removal wrap and retainer  2  has pad  12  attached to wrap strip  10  by a series or pattern of ultrasonic welds or bonds  14 . It is anticipated that many current or known glues or other bonding agents may not be desirable for use in attaching the pad to the wrap strip as the solvents used to attack the nail coating may also attack the glue. Ultrasonic welding or bonding may be used to create a secure and non-soluble attachment between the pad and the base wrap. Such ultrasonic bonding may be laid in the pattern shown or some other configuration or pattern of bonding may be used between the pad and the base wrap. A pattern as shown with the bonds toward the edges may be preferable as the process of bonding may inhibit the absorptive properties of the pad. Moving the bonds toward the edges may ensure that more solvent from the pad is in contact with the nail covering to be removed. 
         [0025]    It is anticipated that other non-glue or bonding agent types of attachments between the pad and the base wrap may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. It is also anticipated that a glue or bonding agent that is resistant to the types of solvents used for nail covering removal may also be used to attach the pad to the base wrap within the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0026]    While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth above. Thus, it is recognized that those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions, alterations, modifications, and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is meant to be exemplary only, the invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the invention, and should not limit the scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.