Abstract:
A disposable nail clippings catcher for use with conventional nail clippers includes a generally hollow housing adapted to slidably retain the nail clipper. An adhesive coating or strip on the interior of the housing captures and retains the toenail and fingernail clipped fragments.

Description:
[0001]     This invention relates to fingernail and toenail clippers and, more particularly, to disposable nail clipping catching and retaining devices that mount to nail clippers to prevent the scattering of nail clippings during the manicuring procedure.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Nail clippers are well known in the art commonly used in manicuring for cutting fingernails and toenails. During the use of nail clippers, fingernail and toenail fragments produced during use of the nail clippers are scattered about the area adjacent the user. To contain the fingernail and toenail fragments, retaining devices have been devised for preventing the nail fragments from falling or otherwise projecting from the nail clippers. These retaining devices include rubber or plastic enclosures which slip over the spring member of the clippers or around the open sides of the clippers to prevent the nail clippings from scattering about. These devices require frequent emptying during which the nail clippings may be spilled.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The nail clippings retaining device of the present invention includes a slip-on cover to catch the nail clippings. The interior of the cover includes an adhesive layer to catch and retain the nail clippings. When the cover is removed from the clippers, the nail clippings are retained by the adhesive along the interior surfaces of the cover. The cover may be disposable so that the nail clippings need not be handled in order to be discarded.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a disposable nail catcher of the present invention shown with nail clippers.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the disposable nail catcher of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the disposable nail catcher of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a disposable nail catcher of the present invention shown with nail clippers.  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the disposable nail catcher of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 6  is an end view of the disposable nail catcher of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 7  is a sheet of adhesive nail retention strips.  
         [0011]      FIG. 8  is a nail retention strip removed from the sheet shown in  FIG. 7 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a disposable nail catcher of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . Disposable nail catcher  10  includes a housing  11 . The housing  11  includes a top  12 , bottom  14 , sides  16 , and back  17 . The bottom  14  and sides  16  of housing  11  may extend generally beyond the length of top  12  to form an open area  18  for insertion of nail clippers  20 . Housing  11  is generally hollow and may narrow from the open end  18  to the closed end  22 . Disposable nail catcher  10  is adapted to receive and releasably secure nail clippers  20 .  
         [0013]     The sides  16  and bottom  14  of housing  11  extend the length of clippers  20 . The front edge of sides  16  extend generally evenly with the jaws  21  of clippers  20 . The length of the top surface  18  accommodates actuation of the lever  23  of clippers  20  when the housing  11  is slipped onto the clippers  20 .  
         [0014]     The interior surface  24  of sides  16  may be coated with an adhesive layer  26  to capture and retain any nail clippings which come into contact with the adhesive  26 . The adhesive layer  26  may extend from the top  12  to the bottom  14  or may be applied to the interior side walls  24  in a narrow strip or strips generally midway between the top  12  and bottom  14  running from the front open end  18  to near the back  17  and generally parallel to the top  12  and bottom  14  surfaces. The adhesive  26  may also be applied in a generally triangular shape with the apex of the triangle toward the back  17  and the base toward the open end  18 .  
         [0015]     Disposable nail catcher  10  may be made of heavy paper such as cardstock, light cardboard, thin plastic or rubber or may be made of a biodegradable material. Adhesive  26  may be any of a number of adhesive materials which remain tacky for an extended period of time and readily adhere to another surface such as a nail clipping when the adhesive is lightly contacted.  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , an alternate embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  30 . Disposable nail catcher  30  comprises a generally tubular flexible cover  32  with an opening  34  for receiving the end of nail clippers  20  opposite the cutting jaws  21 . Cover  32  may taper from opening  34  to closed end  36 . When cover  32  is pulled over the end of nail clippers  20 , the open sides of the nail clippers  20  are generally enclosed by the cover  32 . The interior surface  38  of cover  32  may include a layer of adhesive  40  to retain nail clipping fragments which come into contact with the interior surface  38  of cover  32 . Adhesive layer  40  may be arranged in longitudinal strips on the interior surface  38  of cover  32 .  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a sheet of adhesive nail retention strips is generally indicated by reference numeral  50 . Sheet  50  is a wax-coated paper sheet. Adhesive nail retention strips  52  are releasably secured to sheet  50 . Strips  52  have an adhesive layer on the front  54  and back  56  sides. Adhesive nail retention strips  52  may be used in place of the adhesive layers  26  and  40 . Adhesive nail retention strips  52  are generally shaped to match the open sides of nail clippers  20 . One or two adhesive nail retention strips  52  may be placed on the sidewalls  16  of nail catcher  10  or on the interior surface  38  of cover  32  opposite one another. Once the adhesive strips  52  are in place, the nail catcher  10  or  30  may be placed on the nail clippers  20 . As the nail clippers are used to clip fingernails and/or toenails, the clippings may be trapped by the adhesive layer on the retention strips  52 . To ensure that all clippings collected in the nail catcher  10  or  30  are trapped by the retention strips  52 , the nail clippers  20  may be gently shaken from side to side so that the trapped clippings may contact the adhesive.  
         [0018]     Thereafter, the nail catcher  10  or may be removed from the nail clippers  20 . The nail retention strips  52  may then be removed and placed in a trash receptacle.