Abstract:
A method for completely drying polished nails without any smudging or nicking. The method utilizes first warm air and then very cold air followed by a brief return to warm air. The warm air of the inital step uses air at a temperature of approximately eighty-five degrees Farenhit for approximately four minutes. The very cold air has a temperature of approximately thirty-five degrees and is blown for approximately two minutes. The last step utilizes the intial heating temperature of eighty-five degrees Farenheit but for only fifteen seconds.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to nail drying. More, specifically this invention relates to an apparatus and a method for completely drying nail polish using both warm and very cold air. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In nail and beauty salons, one of the substantial sources of income is manicures and pedicures, i.e. the cleaning, toning and polishing of the fingernails and toenails. One of the problems inherent in the process is that clients have limited time after the nails are polished. The client normally waits at the salon for about fifteen to twenty minutes hoping to dry her nails at room temperature. However, the nails are not completely dry after that time frame. Invariably, the customer nicks or smudges the nails after leaving the salon. As a result, the damaged nails must be redone and still more time is spent waiting for the nail polish to dry. Many manicurists do not utilize machines to assist in drying fingernails or toenails after a polish is applied. However, nail drying machines are well known in the art. Such devices fail to reduce the drying time for nails to an appreciable extent. 
   Existing apparatus to dry nails can be broken down into three categories. Category one includes nail polish dryers that utilize heat. Examples of such nail polish dryers are as follows: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               PATENTEE 
               U.S. PAT. NO. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               GOODMAN 
               2,184,858 
             
             
                 
               FINGERLIN 
               2,262,274 
             
             
                 
               NEMETH 
               2,734,282 
             
             
                 
               SELDITZ 
               3,287,824 
             
             
                 
               FRIEDMAN ET AL 
               3,864,847 
             
             
                 
               SIGMAN 
               4,255,871 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Category two uses forced ambient air to dry nails. However, in this group the ambient air is not heated or cooled by external means. The Simmons Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,822 shows a nail polish dryer where separate finger receiving passages are provided for each finger and the thumb. Air is directed past the tips of the fingers and is vented from the device by outlets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,209 is a nail dryer that equips the device with a hand rest to aid in both the application of the polish and that is positioned such that air is driven by a fan and deflected by the vents which speeds the drying of the polish. The Duchoud Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,984 is a clamshell type of housing where the device is opened by tilting the cover back on its hinges and contact strips are brought together providing power to a fan that drives air through the drying zone. Opening the cover activates the fan which supplies air to dry the nails. 
   Category three includes patents which use cooled air to dry nails. The Outlaw Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,906, uses air that is cooled below ambient temperatures before it is directed onto the fingernails. In this patent, the temperature discussed is between forty-five and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. 
   In general, the main problem with conventional nail polish drying machines is that they don&#39;t dry or set the nails completely. This is evidenced in the Edelman Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,679 whereby the inventor claims that she can dry nails to a “substantial” state. Drying to a “substantial state” means that the nails are not completely dried and therefore will smudge or nick. Also, the prior art states that optionally it would be possible to further augment the speed of the drying process by utilizing a chemical drying agent. This further highlights the major weakness of the prior art machines because if such machines worked, there would be no need for additional chemical drying agents. 
   It is apparent that there is a clear need for a method of drying nails and an apparatus to perform that method which results in a hardened finish. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   The objects of this invention are as follows: 
   To provide for quick drying of nail polish; 
   To provide a method and apparatus for drying nails that produces a completely hardened nail polish that will not smudge or nick; 
   To sanitize the apparatus after each use; 
   To provide a nail dryer that will dry both hands or both feet at one time; 
   To provide a nail dryer that will dry nails in a brief time period of no more than six minutes; 
   To provide a nail dryer that is compact and easy to use and completely automatic; 
   To provided a nail dryer that will completely dry nails to total dryness; 
   To provide an apparatus for drying nails which is inexpensive and dependable; 
   To provide for quick and complete drying of nail polish by providing a warm and very cold temperature in the area proximate to the polished nail within a time of less than seven minutes. 
   These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specifications and drawings; 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A method is provided for drying nail polish that has been applied to the nails of an extremity. Warm or at a temperature of approximately eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit is blown on the nails for approximately four minutes. Then very cold air at a temperature of approximately thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit is blown on the nails for approximately two minutes. Then warm air at a temperature of approximately eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit is blown on the nails for approximately fifteen seconds. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the steps of the method in accordance with this invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the outside enclosure of the apparatus in accordance with this invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an internal top view of the placement of the components of this invention and showing a hand within the apparatus. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the electrical components of the apparatus. 
   

   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS 
   
     
       
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               NUMERAL 
               DESCRIPTION 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               11 
               EXTREMITY 
             
             
               12 
               FLOW OF AIR 
             
             
               13 
               HOUSING 
             
             
               14 
               MOTOR AND FAN 
             
             
               15 
               TEMPERATURE SETTING UNIT 
             
             
               17 
               TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER 
             
             
               19 
               BASE 
             
             
               20 
               TOP 
             
             
               21 
               TWO SIDE PANELS 
             
             
               23 
               FRONT AREA 
             
             
               25 
               BACK PANEL 
             
             
               27 
               FRONT PANEL 
             
             
               29 
               OPENING 
             
             
               31 
               MOTION SENSOR 
             
             
               33 
               ENCLOSURE 
             
             
               35 
               POWER SWITCH 
             
             
               37 
               SANITIZING BULB 
             
             
               39 
               POWER SUPPLY 
             
             
               41 
               REST PLATE 
             
             
               45 
               AIR HEATER AND COOLER 
             
             
               51 
               HOT AND COLD TIMERS 
             
             
               55 
               TEMPERATURE SENSOR 
             
             
               57 
               LOGIC CIRCUIT 
             
             
               59 
               BULB TIMER 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The invention provides an improved method and an apparatus for completely drying the polish applied to nails. As used herein, the term polish encompasses different liquids normally applied to the nails by a manicurist. Each of these materials is in liquid form when applied to the nails and the nail is therefore “wet” until the liquid has dried and hardened to the extent that it can no longer be removed by merely touching the nail against an object. It will be understood that the phrase “drying the nails” as used herein means completely drying the polish on the nails. Additionally, it will be understood that the phrase “completely dry ” as used herein, means with no incidence of any wetness to permit smudging or nicking of the polish. 
   The present invention involves the use of warm and very cold air to dry the polish on the nails. It has been found that the combined sequential use of warm and very cold air dries polish more quickly than room temperature air or either just warm air or very cold air. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the three steps of the method are shown. An extremity  11 , which may be either hands or feet having freshly polished nails, is placed in a flow of air  12 . 
   In Step one, warm air having a temperature range of eighty-three to eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, is blown on the newly polished nails. The preferred temperature is eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit. The warm air is applied for approximately four minutes. 
   Then, as shown is Step Two of  FIG. 1 , the air is cooled to a range of thirty-four to thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit and blown on the nails for two minutes. 
   At the conclusion of Step Two of  FIG. 1 , as shown in Step Three, the temperature of the air being blown into the nails is once again increased to the range of eight-three to eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit for a very brief period, namely approximately fifteen seconds. Complete drying can be obtained without Step Three but comfort is obtained by Step Three. 
   The above described method is provided by an apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 . This apparatus is suitable for use at one&#39;s home or in a manicurist&#39;s salon directing warm and very cold air, in accordance with the described method, onto newly polished nails. 
   In  FIG. 2 , the apparatus is shown for producing the previously described method. A housing  13  is provided in which a motor and fan  14 , a temperature setting unit  15  and a temperature controller  17 . The housing  13  includes a base  19 , a top  20 , two side panels  21 , a front area  23 , a back panel  25  and a front panel  27 . An opening  29  is located in the front area  23  of the housing  13  for insertion of extremities, namely, hands or feet, as may be desired. The nail dryer is designed for the insertion of both extremities  11 , whether two hands or two feet, at the same time. 
   The opening  29  is where the extremities  11  are inserted to obtain nail drying. A motion sensor  31  is located in an enclosure  33 . The opening  29  provides access to the enclosure  33  within the housing  13 . A power switch  35  turns the nail dryer on and off. A sanitizing bulb  37  is also located in the enclosure  33 . The motion sensor  31 , providing the power switch  35  is on, upon an extremity  11  or pair of extremities  11  being placed into the enclosure  33  activates the commencement of the nail drying process. The nail dryer, must of course, be connected to a power supply  39 . 
   A rest plate  41  onto which the extremities  11  are placed within the enclosure  33  is located slightly higher than the base  19  of the housing  13 . The rest plate  41  preferably has a non-porous, skid free surface. The front panel  27  drops down to a level approximately four inches above the rest plate when an extremity is placed on the rest plate  41 . The front panel  27  retracts at the end of the drying cycle and is activated by the motion sensor  31  located within the housing  13  which would sense loss of air movement The front panel  27  must retract before the extremities are removed so there will be no chance of hitting the nails on the front panel  27 . Once the front panel  27  has retracted, free movement is provided to retract the extremities. 
   The power supply  39  is connected to the motor and fan  14  and an air heater and cooler  45  and to the temperature controller  17 . There is no need for further external control adjustment means because the nail dryer operates through the temperature controller  17  and a warm and very cold time  47 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a top view of the lower portion of the enclosure  33 . An extremity  11  with nails requiring drying of polish is shown inserted into the opening  29  and placed upon the rest plate  41 . The motion sensor  31  detects the presence of the extremity  11  which has been inserted into the opening  29 . Toward the back panel  25  of the housing  11 , an air heater and cooler  45  is located. The air heater and cooler  45  contains the motor and fan  14 . The air forced by the motor and fan  14  which passes through the air heater and cooler  45  is directed at the extremities  11  on the rest plate  41 . 
   Also located with the air heater and cooler  45  are the temperature controller  17 , hot and cold timers  51 , temperature setting unit  53  for both hot and cold temperatures, and a temperature sensor  55 . 1  The enclosure  33  of the nail dryer also contains the sanitizing bulb  37 . This sanitizing bulb  37  turns on for a preset period of time when the motion sensor  31  detects that the extremities  49  have been removed from the nail dryer.  1 Thermo-electric modules, icluding Temperature Controllers and related equipment for producing alternating warm and very cold air flows are commercially available from TE Technology, Inc., 1590 Kennie Drive, Ttraverse City, Mich. 49686-8257. 
     FIG. 4  shows a block diagram of the electrical components of the nail dryer. As previously stated, the motion sensor  31  detects the insertion of an extremity  11  into the nail dryer. When this insertion occurs, the motion sensor  31  generates an “On” signal, which goes to the temperature controller  17  to indicate that the warm-very cold-warm drying cycle should begin. The temperature controller  17  then begins generating the warm cycle, which needs to be active for four minutes. The warm and very cold timers  51  control the length of this period, which as the method states, is four minutes. The temperature controller  17  sends an output of a specified polarity to the air heater and cooler  45  during the warm period. The proper polarity for triggering a warm air output from the air heater and cooler  45  is established by a logic unit  57 . After the initial warm period, the temperature controller  17  shifts into the very cold period, which extends for two minutes as directed by the hot and cold timers  51 . The proper polarity for triggering a very cold air output from the air heater and cooler  51  is established by the logic unit  57 . The temperature controller  17  provides an output that is inverted for a very cold cycle. The temperature controller  17  gets its warm and very cold temperatures for the warm and very cold temperatures periods from the temperature setting unit  15 . 
   The temperature sensor  55  measures the temperature of the ambient air inside the nail dryer to regulate and maintain that ambient temperature at a stable eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit for warm periods and thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit for very cold periods. The power supply  39  supplies the required electricity for all of the electrical components shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 4  also shows the sanitizing bulb  37 , which is an ultraviolet germicidal light bulb and is turned on by the motion sensor  31  when the extremity  49  is removed from the enclosure. The sanitizing bulb  37  stays on for a period of time dictated by a bulb timer  59 . 
   The advantages of this invention are several. It is the primary advantage of the present invention to have a combination of warm and very cold air to enable polished nails to dry completely, avoiding the need to immediately repeat the application of nail polish. Another advantage is to provide a machine that will dry nails more quickly than prior art machines. The provision for a sanitized rest plate for each client is most advantageous. The nail dryer provides a completely automated approach for the user. With this invention, time is saved for the nail salon owner, as the whole drying and sanitizing process is automatic, so operators do not have to oversee the individual client nail drying process. 
   It is to be understood that the drawings and description matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.