Patent Publication Number: US-11044980-B1

Title: Nail polish removal device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a nail polish removal device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toenail polish removal device with a reciprocating sponge assembly having nail polish removing fluid that operates on the toenails, thereby efficiently removing the nail polish from the user&#39;s feet simultaneously. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Nail polish are used by women as a part of their beauty care, to cosmetically enhance their nails or to protect the nails from everyday conditions. Women use this beauty accessory to match their wardrobe, jewellery and makeup. However, nail polishes exhibit deterioration, particularly in the form of chipping or peeling, in as few as one or two days from being worn. Hence, it is often desirable to quickly remove cosmetic nail polish from fingernails and toenails, such as, for example, prior to applying a new cosmetic finish or once the chipping and peeling starts to progress, resulting in nails which are not only minimally protected from the environment but are unsightly as well. Oftentimes, cleaning and removing polish from one&#39;s toenails requires the use of scrub brushes that may also cause damage to user&#39;s toe. Further, the use of objects such as sharp bladed instruments or the like that usually fails to remove polish uniformly and the continued use of which can be damaging to one&#39;s toenails. 
     Currently, removal means such as bottle-based systems are used to remove nail polish from finger nails or toenails. Bottle-based nail polish removal systems include a multiple-use bottle containing a relatively large quantity of a nail polish removal solution sufficient for numerous applications. The bottle opens at one end and must be properly secured with a cap to prevent the solution from spilling and evaporation. In use, the solution must be controllably poured from the bottle onto a suitable material, such as a cotton ball or a cloth rag. Once the material is saturated with the nail polish removal solution, the user uses his or her fingers to apply the material to a polished nail in order to remove the nail polish therefrom, thereby undesirably simultaneously exposing other nails to the solution. Bottle-based systems are relatively cumbersome and inconvenient to carry in a pocket or purse; are prone to potential leakage which may damage property and are messy to apply. 
     Few cosmetic bottles including bottle caps with sponge applicators attached thereto have been made to remove nail polish. The bottle or container need to be squeezed, by which the nail polish removal liquid is applied to the sponge applicator. Then, the user has to scrub with the sponge applicator with a cotton ball wetted with nail polish remover. However, the above described method involves awkward and inconvenient procedure. 
     Hence, people depends on manicurist for nail polish removal. However, it is difficult to clean one&#39;s nails with a degree of cleanliness. Particularly, it is difficult for the users on bending, cleaning and removing toenail polish from the toenails because of back injuries and the like. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a device that will quickly, efficiently and inexpensively, clean and remove polish from the toenails of the user&#39;s feet simultaneously. Further, it is desirable to provide a toenail polish removal device that operates on both foot simultaneously in the device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one of the main objectives of the present invention to provide an efficient and autonomous toenail polish removal device for a user. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide the device that operates on both foot of the user simultaneously. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide the device comprising a housing with a foot placement assembly for allowing the user to place their toenails of the feet in contact with a sponge assembly. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide the sponge assembly that could rotate and reciprocate side by side on the user&#39;s toenails. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide the device with a reservoir for holding nail polish removing fluid. 
     It is still another objective of the present invention to provide the device with a first tube and a second tube from the reservoir to the sponge assembly, wherein the first tube is in fluid communication with the first sponge assembly and the second tube is in fluid communication with the second sponge assembly. 
     It is still another objective of the present invention to provide the device configured to deliver nail polish removing fluid to sponge assembly through the first tube and the second tube to aid in the removal of fingernail polish from the toenails of a user&#39;s foot. 
     It is yet still another objective of the present invention to provide the device with a tray or a storage container for storing additional nail polish removing liquid. 
     It is yet still another objective of the present invention to provide the device with a switch that enable the users to turn ON/OFF the device. 
     Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and structures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or a structure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to the description of that method step or structure shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein. 
         FIG. 1A  exemplarily illustrates a perspective view of a nail polish removal device in an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  exemplarily shows a remote control  48  of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  exemplarily illustrates a top view of the nail polish removal device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  exemplarily illustrates a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  exemplarily illustrates a side view of the nail polish removal device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  exemplarily illustrates a see-through view of the nail polish removal device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6A  exemplarily illustrates placement of user&#39;s feet within the device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6B  exemplarily illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7A  exemplarily illustrates an embodiment of the present invention showing a sponge assembly  16  for each foot of the user. 
         FIG. 7B  exemplarily illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention showing multiple of sponge assembly  16  for each foot of the user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In some instances, well-known structures, processes and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
     It shall be noted that unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively while adhering to the concepts of the present invention. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A  to  FIG. 5 , a nail polish removal device  10  especially toenail polish removal device and its method of operation is illustrated, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the nail polish removal device  10  is configured to remove nail polish from the toenails of a user&#39;s foot, simultaneously. Referring to  FIG. 1A , the nail polish removal device  10  comprises a housing  11 . In one embodiment, the housing  11  of the device  10  includes a foot placement assembly, which comprises a first foot placement area or a first area  12   a  and a second foot placement area or a second area  12   b . The foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) enables the user to place their toenails of both foot within the device  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) comprises a characteristic shape that conforms to the size and shape of the user&#39;s foot. In one embodiment, the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) comprises a shape that outlines the toes and front part of the arch of the foot. In one embodiment, sufficient space is provided between each toe shape so that the user could place their toenails apart comfortably. In one embodiment, the space provided could be 1 to 3 inches. A plurality of cushion members  15  is disposed on the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) such that each toe conforms onto each cushion member  15 . A plurality of drainer holes  14  is disposed proximal to the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ). 
     In one embodiment, a filler opening  20  is disposed at a top portion of the housing  11 . The filler opening  20  is in fluid communication with a sponge assembly  16 , via one or more tubes  36 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . A desired quantity of nail polish removal fluid is then introduced into the filler opening  20 , whereby the nail polish removal fluid is delivered to the sponge assembly  16 . In one embodiment, the sponge assembly  16  is configured to rotate and reciprocate inside said foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) of the foot placement assembly. In one embodiment, the sponge assembly  16  is configured to rotate and reciprocate at a speed sufficient to remove the nail polish from the toenails. The sponge assembly  16  further comprises a sponge support, which is configured to hold and hang the sponge assembly  16  inside the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ). In one embodiment, the sponge support could be a support rod. In some embodiments, the material used for sponge assembly  16  is allergen free. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the device  10  further comprises a nail polish drainer reservoir  46 , which is in fluid communication with the one or more holes  14  disposed proximal to the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ), via one or more tubes  38 , to collect the nail polish residue from the toenails of the user&#39;s foot during nail polish removal operation. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the device  10  comprises an indicator  30  for indicating the level of drained residue collected in the drainer reservoir  46 . In one embodiment, the drainer reservoir  46  is connected to an outlet tube  32 . In one embodiment, a switch  34  is provided at a side portion of the housing  11  to initiate draining operation to unload the residue from the drainer reservoir  46  via the outlet tube  32 . 
     In some embodiments, the device  10  is made of any material but not limited to light-weight plastic material. The device  10  further comprises a switch  22  for powering the device  10 . In one embodiment, the switch  22  is disposed on the top portion of the housing  11 . In another embodiment, the switch  22  could be positioned on various location, for example, on a side walls of the housing  11  such way that would be convenient for the user to operate the device  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , the device  10  could be conveniently operated using a remote control  48 . The remote control  48  comprises control switches ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53 ) to activate and control various operations of the device  10  remotely. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the device  10  comprises a see through window  18  disposed at the top portion of the housing  11 , directly above the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ), allowing the user to view or check on the reciprocating operation of the sponge assembly  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a see-through view of the nail polish removal device  10  is illustrated, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the device  10  includes a first tube  36  from the filler opening  20  and a second tube  38  from the plurality of drainer holes  14 . The first tube  36  is in fluid communication with the sponge assembly  16 , and the second tube  38  is in fluid communication with drainer reservoir  46 . In one embodiment, the device  10  is configured to deliver nail polish removal fluid from the filler opening  20  to the sponge assembly  16  through the first tube  36 . The second tube  38  is configured to collect nail polish residue or nail polish removal fluid residue during cleaning operation from the toenails of the user&#39;s foot. 
     In one embodiment, the device  10  comprises a dryer  28  disposed within the housing  11 , directly above the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ). The dryer  28  is configured to dry the nail polish removal fluid on the toenails, which could be used after removing the nail polish. In some embodiments, the dryer  28  could be incorporated with a hot air producing mechanism, a lamp for producing heat, or other similar heaters, or an electric fan for blowing heat. In one embodiment, the device  10  further comprises a plurality of LEDs  26  disposed within the housing  11 , directly above the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) and proximal to the see through window  18 . The plurality of LEDs  26  is configured to emit light within the housing  11 . 
     In one embodiment, the device  10  further may comprises a motor assembly for providing rotational and reciprocation movement for the sponge assembly  16 . In some embodiments, the device  10  may comprise a battery compartment for receiving one or more batteries to provide one of several possible power sources for the device  10 . In some embodiments, the device  10 , as an alternative means, could be powered by plugging into a power source. To control the supply of energy of the device  10  and the operation of the device  10 , the switch  22  is positioned at the top portion of the housing  11  such that it could be easily actuated by the user. In some embodiments, a power supply cord  24  extends from the housing  11  through a cord hole in a rear side of the housing  11  to supply power to the electrical components or to recharge the battery utilized for device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6A  exemplarily illustrates placement of user&#39;s feet within the device  10 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. For operating the device  10 , each foot of the user needs to be inserted into the first foot placement area  12   a  and the second foot placement area  12   b  of the housing  11 , respectively, as best illustrated in  FIG. 1A . The foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) is configured and sized to support the user&#39;s foot. Further, a desired quantity of nail polish removal fluid is then introduced into the filler opening  20 , whereby the nail polish removal fluid is delivered to the sponge assembly  16 , as best shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6B , after positioning toenails within device  10 , the user could depress or actuate the switch  22 . On activating the switch  22 , the sponge assembly  16  is configured to move towards the foot placement area ( 12   a  and  12   b ) to rotate and reciprocate in side by side manner or up and down manner on the sponge support. In this position, toenails are either in contact with sponge assembly  16 , or positioned such that they could be easily placed in contact with sponge assembly  16 . Then, the reciprocating action of the sponge assembly  16  on the toenails enables application of nail polish removing fluid on all over the toenails. The nail polish removing fluid from the sponge assembly  16  removes nail polish completely and rapidly from the toenails of the user&#39;s feet. The nail polish residue is collected in the drainer reservoir  46 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Then, the dryer  28  could be activated to dry the nail polish removal liquid on the toenails, as best show in  FIG. 5 . 
     In an alternate embodiment, device  10  may include a motion detector to detect toenails being placed into device  10 . Subsequently, sponge assembly  16  may be actuated. 
     Advantageously, the present invention enables the user to remove nail polish from the toenails of the user efficiently. Further, the device  10  enables the user to remove the nail polish conveniently without any manual means or scrubbing the nails. The device  10  according to the present invention further offers an efficient way to remove nail polish from the toenails, which eliminates the usage of cotton balls to wipe away the nail polish. It also saves time and effort and assist in providing professional pedicure service for the user. The device  10  could be used at homes in person, which reduces the visiting cycle to the salon for removing nail polish. The device  10  further ensures clear and shiny look to the toenails of the user. The plurality of LEDs  26  is configured to provide better visibility of the toenails placed in the foot placement assembly and the operation of the device  10  performed on the toenails via the see through window  18 . 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. 
     The foregoing descriptions comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.