Abstract:
A foot covering formed by a sock and a plurality of artificial toenails attached to the sock at the front end of the sock. Inserting a foot into the sock places the artificial toenails approximately over natural toenails on the foot and gives the appearance of a professional pedicure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/681,709, filed on Aug. 10, 2012. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a sock or a stocking having artificial toenails attached thereto. In particular, the invention relates to a sock or stocking that is gives the appearance of a pedicure to the wearer when wearing. 
         [0004]    2. The Prior Art 
         [0005]    It is very common to develop a fungal infection on one&#39;s toenails, especially after having a pedicure in a nail salon that does not sterilize it&#39;s equipment properly. Eliminating the fungal infection can take a very long time. During this time, the infected individual cannot have professional pedicure or even paint their own toenails. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is therefore an object of the invention to develop a foot covering that gives the impression of a professional pedicure, so that infected individuals can wear open-toed shoes. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the invention to provide a foot covering that has interchangeable toenail coverings, so that the color of the toenails can be easily changed. 
         [0008]    These and other objects are accomplished by a foot covering comprising a sock and a plurality of artificial toenails attached to the sock at the front end of the sock, such that inserting a foot into the sock places the artificial toenails approximately over natural toenails on the foot. The use of the term “sock” in this application applies to any type of flexible foot covering, such as a traditional knit sock, or other types of coverings, including sheer hose, rubber, plastic, latex or other coverings. One particularly suitable material is knit nylon, such as that used to make pantyhose. This material is sheer enough so as to appear almost invisible, while conforming to the user&#39;s foot. Thicker materials could also be used, depending on the look and function desired by the manufacturer. Materials that simulate the look natural skin, such as latex, could also be used. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the sock is divided into separate toe sections at the front end, so that inserting the foot into the sock places the toes into separate toe sections in the sock. One of the artificial nails is attached to each one of the toe sections. In another embodiment, the sock is not divided, and the artificial nails are placed along the front of the sock in a row, in the approximate areas where the wearer&#39;s toes would be located. 
         [0010]    The artificial toenails can be painted with nail polish, to give the appearance of a professional pedicure, or they can be made to look like natural toenails. A set of decals or stickers in the shape of toenails can also be applied to the artificial toenails, to change the color of the artificial toenails. 
         [0011]    The artificial toenails can be made from any suitable material, such as acrylic or other suitable plastic. They can be attached to the foot covering via any suitable method, such as gluing or stitching. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the bottom of the foot covering is reinforced, so that the wearer can walk around without shoes and avoid damaging the foot covering. The reinforcement could be made of rubber, plastic, leather or any other suitable material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
           [0014]    In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a top view of the foot covering with a foot inserted therein; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the foot covering with a foot inserted; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a detail of a toe of the foot covering with a decal being applied thereto. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    Referring now in detail to the drawings and, in particular,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the foot covering  1  in the form of a thin, sheer hose-like knit fabric, covering the foot  2  of a person (shown in broken lines). Foot covering  1  can be manufactured in any desired color, to match any skin tone, or can be manufactured in non-skin colored shades, to increase the fashion appeal. Foot covering  1  is divided into five separate toe sections  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , and each toe of foot  2  fits into one of the sections  3 - 7 , so that each toe is separated from the others within the foot covering  1 . On top of each toe section  3 - 7  is an artificial toenail  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 , respectively. Each toenail  8 - 12  sits on top of the wearer&#39;s natural toenails (see  14  in  FIG. 2 ) to give the appearance that artificial toenails  8 - 12  are the natural toenails of the wearer. Alternatively, foot covering  1  can be made without toe separations, in the shape of a regular sock or pantyhose. Foot covering  1  can be of any desired length, as long as it covers the toes of the wearer. Foot covering  1  could be as short as a ped, extending only partially up the foot and around the heel, or can extend all the way up the wearer&#39;s leg 
         [0019]    Artificial toenails  8 - 12  can be manufactured to appear as natural toenails, or can be covered in nail polish, to give the appearance of a professional pedicure. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3 , decals or stickers with additional designs can be applied to artificial toenails  8 - 12  to change the appearance of the toenails. The decals or stickers can be removable, so that the wearer can change the appearance of the toenails quickly and easily. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a reinforcement layer  19  can be applied to the bottom of foot covering  1 , to protect foot covering  1  in the even that the wearer walks around without wearing shoes. Layer  19  can be any suitable material, such as felt, leather, rubber or plastic. The entire foot covering  1  could also be made of rubber or plastic, simulating a shoe or boot. 
         [0021]    When foot covering  1  is made to be skin tone, and is worn with open-toed shoes, it give the appearance that the wearer has a professional pedicure, as foot covering  1  is not noticeable to the casual observer. This is great benefit to women who do not have the time to devote to professional pedicures, or who cannot have them due to medical reasons such as toenail fungus. The wearer could also wear pantyhose over the foot covering  1  to give the illusion of wearing pantyhose over one&#39;s natural nails. 
         [0022]    Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.