Device, kit and method of caring for a finger nail

A device used when applying polish to a tip of a finger nail includes a body having a size sufficient to prevent polish from being applied to a shielded portion of the finger nail away from the tip. A passageway extends through the body and has a size sufficient to receive the tip of the nail on one side of the body and allow access by a user of the device to the tip of the nail on the other side of the body. A kit adapted for applying polish to a tip of a finger nail includes the device. A kit includes a container of finger nail polish and an applicator to apply the polish to the tip of the nail after a finger is secured to the device to permit an individual to obtain a french type manicure. A method of applying polish to a tip of a finger nail constructs a device having a body made to expose the tip of the nail while shielding the remainder of the nail. The tip of the nail is positioned in the device to expose the tip while preventing access of the polish to the remainder of the nail. Polish is then applied to the tip of the nail.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a device, kit and method used in manicuring a 
finger nail and, more particularly, to a device, a kit and a method used 
in providing a french manicure to a finger nail. 
BACKGROUND ART 
The caring for finger nails is well known. One of the methods used to care 
for finger nails is a french manicure that accentuates the white that 
naturally appears at the tip of the natural nail. The method involves 
applying a white or off-white polish in a uniform line at the tip of the 
nail while not applying such polish to the remainder of the nail. The 
remainder of the nail is that portion extending from the tip of the nail 
to the cuticle of the nail. 
One method of obtaining a french manicure is by employing a highly skilled 
manicurist. A highly skilled manicurist is required because not all 
manicurists are capable of applying the polish along a uniform line at the 
exact location. Even though some manicurists believe that they possess the 
requisite skills to provide a french manicure, they fail. It then becomes 
necessary to remove the polish at the tip and apply polish in a 
conventional manicure. Accordingly, obtaining a french manicure from a 
manicurist is difficult, if not impossible, time consuming and expensive. 
Also, a french manicure may be obtained by attaching masking tape to the 
tip of a nail before applying polish to the tip. The polish is then 
applied and the tape removed after the polish dries. This procedure is 
accomplished by using a kit, such as that sold by Orly International Inc. 
under the name ORLY French Manicure. However, because the polish dries 
simultaneously on the tape and along the tip of the nail, a portion of the 
polish along the tip may be removed with the tape, which causes 
irregularities along the line of the french manicure. When this occurs, 
the polish must be removed, new tape applied and the polish re-applied. 
The application of the masking tape is time consuming and the line of the 
manicure is not regular and is not as attractive as one desires. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device 
that is used when applying polish to a tip of a finger nail to obtain a 
french manicure. 
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a kit that is 
adapted for applying polish to a tip of a finger nail to obtain a french 
manicure. 
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of 
applying polish to a tip of a finger nail to obtain a french manicure. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a device used 
when applying polish to a tip of a finger nail. The device includes a body 
having a size sufficient to prevent polish from being applied to a 
shielded portion of the finger nail away from the tip. A passageway 
extends through the body and has a size sufficient to receive the tip of 
the nail on one side of the body and allow access by a user of the device 
to the tip of the nail on the other side of the body. 
Further, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a kit 
adapted for applying polish to a tip of a finger nail. The kit includes a 
device having a body with a size sufficient to prevent polish from being 
applied to a shielded portion of the finger nail away from the tip. A 
passageway extends through the body and has a size sufficient to receive 
the tip of the nail on one side of the body and allow access by a user of 
the device to the tip of the nail on the other side of the body. The kit 
also includes a container of finger nail polish and an applicator to apply 
the polish to the tip of the nail after a finger is secured to the device 
to permit an individual to obtain a french type manicure. 
Further, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a 
method of applying polish to a tip of a finger nail. A device is 
constructed that has a body made to expose the tip of the nail while 
shielding the remainder of the nail. The nail is positioned in the device 
to expose the tip while preventing access of the polish to the remainder 
of the nail. Polish is then applied to the tip of the nail.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Turning now to the drawings, there is shown a device 10 constructed 
according to the present invention. Device 10 is secured to a finger 12 
and used when applying a polish 14 to a tip 16 of a nail 18 grown at the 
end 20 of finger 12. 
Device 10 has a body 22 defined by front and back 24 and 26, respectively, 
first and second sides 28 and 30, respectively, and first and second ends 
32 and 34, respectively. Front and back 24 and 26 face away from one 
another. First and second sides 28 and 30 are relatively straight and 
extend substantially parallel to one another. First and second ends 32 and 
34, respectively, are disposed in a convex curve that generally faces away 
from one another, each curve having approximately the same radius of 
curvature that generally follows the contour of end 20 of finger 12. 
A first passageway 36 extends through body 22 from front 24 to back 26 to 
allow access by a user of device 10 to tip 16 of nail 18 on front side 24 
of body 22. First passageway 36 has a size at least sufficient to permit 
access of at least tip 16 of nail 18 into back 26 and through body 22. As 
shown in the drawings, first passageway 36 is an arcuate slit that extends 
substantially parallel to first end 32. First end 32 of body 22 and first 
passageway 36 are disposed sufficiently away one another so that body 22 
and front 24 form a first shielding area 38. When tip 16 of nail 18 is 
inserted through first passageway 36, first shielding area 38 assists in 
preventing polish 14 from being accidentally applied to a surface other 
than that of front surface 24 of shielding area 38 and tip 16 of nail 18. 
A second passageway 40 extends through body 22 from front 24 to back 26 to 
allow access by a user of device 10 to tip 16 of nail 18 on front 24 of 
body 22. Second passageway 40 has a size at least sufficient to permit 
access of at least tip 16 of nail 18 into back 26 and through body 22. As 
shown in the drawings, second passageway 40 is a straight slit that 
extends substantially transverse to the length of elongated finger 12 or 
substantially transverse to first and second sides 28 and 30, 
respectively. Second end 34 of body 22 and second passageway 40 are 
disposed sufficiently away one another so that body 22 and front 24 form a 
second shielding area 42. When tip 16 of nail 18 is inserted through 
second passageway 40, second shielding area 42 assists in preventing 
polish 14 from being accidentally applied to a surface other than that of 
front surface 24 of shielding area 42 and tip 16 of nail 18. 
That portion of body 22 that is disposed between first passageway 36 and 
second passageway 40 provides a third shielding area 44 to cover that 
portion of nail 16 that is not receiving polish 14. When device 10 is 
properly secured to finger 12, third shielding area 44 is sealed against 
nail 18 to insure polish 14 is given a uniform line from one side to the 
other side across the nail by preventing polish 14 from passing under 
shielding area 44 onto the top of nail 18. When necessary, tip 16 of nail 
18 may be urged against front 24 of body 22 to urge nail 18 into 
engagement with back 26 of shielding 44 of body 22 to obtain a proper seal 
with the top of nail 18. Further, third shielding area 44 prevents polish 
14 from being applied to that portion of nail 18 that is not to be 
polished and to insure only tip 16 has polish 14 applied to it. 
A french manicure with a curved line that generally parallels first 
passageway 36 may be obtained by moving finger 12 along front 24, through 
second passageway 40, along back 26 and outward through first passageway 
36 with tip 14 viewed from front 24. Finger 12 is disposed with tip 16 on 
front 24 between first shielding area 38 and third shielding area 44 and 
the remaining portion being disposed on back 26 of body 22, as shown in 
FIG. 2. If desired, finger 12 may be moved along back 26 and outward 
through first passageway 36 without passing through second passageway 40 
to position tip 16 in the desired location. In either situation, body 22 
must be sufficiently thin to allow this positioning of finger 12. 
A french manicure with a straight line that generally parallels second 
passageway 40 is obtained by moving finger 12 along front 24, through 
first passageway 36, along back 26 and outward through second passageway 
40 with tip 14 viewed from front 24. Finger 12 is disposed with tip 16 on 
front 24 between second shielding area 42 and third shielding area 44 and 
the remaining portion being disposed along back 26 of body 22. If desired, 
finger 12 may be moved alone back 26 and outward through second passageway 
40 without passing through first passageway 36 to position tip 16 in the 
desired location. In either situation, body 22 must be sufficiently thin 
to allow this positioning of finger 12. 
When device 10 is moved through first or second passageway 36 and 40, 
respectively, it is necessary that both passageways a size sufficient to 
receive finger 12 supporting nail 18 that is to be polished. 
The materials and dimensions used to construct body 22 are chosen so that 
body 22 is sufficiently flexible to allow removal of body 22 from finger 
12 without contacting polish 14 applied to nail 16 by moving or squeezing 
opposing first and second sides 28 and 30, respectively, toward one 
another and moving body 22 over tip 16 and end 20 of finger 12 while 
polish 14 is wet. It has been discovered that when the material is a 
plastic, front 22 and back 24 are about 1/8 inches from one another, first 
side 28 and second side 30 are about 1.5 from one another, outermost point 
46 of first end 32 and outermost point 48 of second end 34 are about 2.5 
inches from one another, first passageway 36 is about 1 inch from 
outermost point 46 and second passageway 40 is about 1.0 inch from 
outermost point 48, then body 22 will provide the desired flexibility to 
allow device 22 to function adequately. 
Device 10 may be used in a kit 50 adapted to provide a french manicure. Kit 
50 will include device 10 and a first containers 52 of finger nail white, 
off-white or similarly colored polish and an applicator 54, such as a 
brush connected to the top and disposed within container 52, to apply the 
polish to tip 14 of nail 16 after finger 12 is secured to device 10 as 
explained above. If desired, a second container 56 is provided with an 
applicator 58, such as a brush connected to the top and disposed within 
container 54, to apply an over coat to the first coat of polish. 
In operation, device 10 is constructed to have a body 22 made to expose tip 
16 of nail 18 while shielding the remainder of nail 18. Tip 16 of nail 18 
is positioned in device 10 to expose tip 16 while preventing access of 
polish to the remainder of nail 18. Polish is then applied to tip 16 of 
nail 18. Body 22 of device 10 is constructed to form first shielding area 
38 and second shielding area 42 to assist in preventing polish from being 
applied to a surface other than that of shielding area 38 and 42 and tip 
16 of nail 18 and to form third shielding area 44 to prevent polish from 
being applied to nail 18 except for tip 16.