Abstract:
A dry nail tip appliqué for applying nail enamel to a nail tip. The nail tip appliqué is configured to conform to the size and shape of a respective nail tip and allows for a convenient and neat application of a French-style manicure.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The current application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/543,481 filed Oct. 5, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,092,786 which is itself a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/126,862, filed on May 11, 2005, which claims domestic priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/570,713, filed on May 12, 2004. The contents of all of the above-mentioned patent applications are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The current invention relates generally to the field of nail polish, more specifically, to a novel method and apparatus for attaining a French-style manicure using an instant dry film nail polish application. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of an instant fingernail coating product whereby nail polish is applied to a fingernail by adhesively securing to it a dry form of nail polish has become a preferred mode of attaining a manicure by many users. Such dry nail polish products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,903,840 and 5,415,903 each of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     The nail coating product, or instant nail polish referenced above, confers numerous advantages over conventional, prior art nail polish applied with a brush in a liquid form. The application of instant nail polish is faster, easier and cleaner than conventional nail polish and does not suffer from the numerous encumbrances associated with wet nail polish such as drying time and the concern of smearing or smudging. 
     However, the previous dry nail coating products are not well adapted to applying a French-style manicure, wherein the tips of nails are coated with an enamel of a color that is different from the rest of the nail. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,840 discloses a dry nail coating application that is pre-printed with a design or a different color tip portion. Attaining a French-manicure with the pre-printed configuration is difficult, requires precision and is prone to imperfection. U.S. patent application No. 543,481 discloses a novel nail appliqué in which a single nail appliqué is divisible into two separate portions—one to coat the entirety of a nail and a second one to coat only the nail&#39;s tip. It would be desirable, however, to fashion a nail tip coating appliqué that is a separate member, independent and apart from a nail coating appliqué. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a novel French-style dry nail coating appliqué and a method of applying the same wherein a tip portion is configured as a separate, independent member that is adapted to coating the tip of a nail. This allows for the easy and neat application of a dry, French-style manicure, which presents an improvement upon the pre-printed configuration of the prior art, and is independently useful for applying French tips. 
     The inventive nail tip coating appliqué (“nail tip appliqué” herein) comprises a substantially crescent or rounded dry nail product. After applying a dry nail coating of liquid nail polish to a fingernail, the separate nail tip appliqué described herein is then utilized to add a second coat to the nail&#39;s tip. Preferably, the nail tip application is of a different color or shade from that of the rest of the nail. The rounded curvature of the inventive nail tip appliqué is adapted to conform to the rounded shape and size of a nail tip. 
     Numerous advantages are realized with the inventive nail tip appliqué. The application of a French manicure using liquid nail polish entails applying a first coating of polish over the entire surface of a nail and waiting for the first coat to dry before applying a second coat of nail polish in a fine, neat strip across the tip of the nail. This process is time consuming, requites dexterity and is expensive when done at a nail salon. The nail tip appliqués described herein mitigates these problems with an easy tip coating applicator that requires minimal drying time, is pre-cut to conform to the shape of a nail tip and is easy to apply The nail tip appliqué could be used on nails coated with ordinary liquid nail polish or with the dry nail coating products referenced herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the invention wherein the nail tip appliqués are attached to a strip of nail appliqués. 
         FIG. 2  shows a strip of nail tip appliqués. 
         FIG. 3  shows a single nail tip appliqué. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration depicting a method of applying the nail tip appliqué. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the drawings in which the same reference numerals identify the same elements of structure in each of the several figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a strip of nail appliqués  10  similar, or identical to those referenced above herein is accompanied by a plurality of the inventive nail tip appliqués  12 . Each nail tip appliqué  12  contains a section that is rounded or curved  14  and therefore adapted to conform to the shape of a nail tip. In a preferred embodiment a series of nail tip appliqués  12  is fixed to a backing sheet of material  16  and the appliqués are separated from one another by way of a kiss cut  18 . The kiss cut, which perforates the nail tip appliqué but not the underlying backing, allows for nail tip appliqués  12  to be removed from the backing  16  on an individual basis. Preferably, strips of material that is in communication with nail tip appliqués function as a tabs  17 , which can be pulled to facilitate the removal of nail tip appliqué  12  from their backing  16 . 
     In an embodiment, a thin sheet of backing material such as paper, for example, is coated with an adhesive coating. A uniform layer of partially cured nail polish material in the general shapes of nail tips is deposited on the backing material forming a film of nail polish. When the film of nail polish or nail appliqué is removed from the backing, it has an adhesive surface, which can be adhesively secured to a fingernail by placing it and pressing on the nail. 
     It is anticipated that the inventive nail tip appliqué can be produced using the formulations and methods of manufacture described in the patents and patent disclosures incorporated by reference herein. The nail tip appliqué mentioned herein refers to the finished nail coating product comprising nail polish material and an adhesive means which is sized and shaped to substantially conform to the rounded edge of a fingernail tip. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of nail appliqués  10  and a plurality of nail tip appliqués  12  are removably affixed to a common paper backing  16 . However, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a strip of nail tip appliqués  12  can be produced, packaged and sold independent of nail appliqués  10 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of nail tip appliqués are secured to a paper backing in a substantially linear fashion such that the convex-like border  22  of one tip coating abuts the concave-like border  20  of an adjacent tip coating  19 . In an embodiment, the concave  20  and convex  22  portions are defined by a kiss cut  18 . In one embodiment, a plurality of tip coatings disposed in a linear configuration accompanies a plurality of nail coatings, preferably with the nail coatings  10  and tip coatings  12  sharing a common backing. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of nail tip appliqués are cut, each having varying degrees of curvature  14 , preferably substantially corresponding to the varying curvatures of the various fingernails. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a single nail tip appliqué is preferably a crescent-like shaped strip that has a substantially concave-like edge  20  and an opposing substantially convex-like edge  22  which respectively comprise the top and bottom borders of the strip. The sides of the strip are preferably delineated by straight-cut edges  24  that are substantially parallel to each other. The sides  24 , and therefore the depth of the strip, are preferably about a halt of an inch. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that a nail tip appliqué can be configured in any of various sizes and shapes so long as it possesses a rounded section that is adapted to substantially conform to the curvature of a respective fingernail tip. 
     Nail tip appliqués can be utilized by wearers of traditional liquid nail polish, for example, as an easier, neater and more convenient way of applying a French tip. Additionally, people who wish to have their nails done at a nail salon, but do not want to spend time waiting for two applications of polish to dry, can buy a strip of nail tip appliqués for self-applying French tips. 
     In  FIG. 4 , a single nail tip appliqué  12  is removed from its paper backing  16 . Beginning with a nail that has already been coated with a nail coating (via a dry application or otherwise), the nail tip appliqué is secondarily placed on a portion of a nail tip to be coated  28 . The nail tip appliqué is adhesively secured to the fingernail tip by firmly pressing on it. Any portion that may extend beyond the edge of the nail  30  is easily removed by shearing it, for example, with another fingernail  32  or with a shearing instrument. 
     Alternatively, the nail tip appliqué could be applied first and a coating of the rest of the nail (including the tip portion) could be applied secondarily. 
     Having described this invention with regard to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation since further modifications and variations may be apparent or may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is intended that the present application cover all such modifications and variation as fall within the scope of the appended claims.