Patent Publication Number: US-2012024307-A1

Title: Nail guide and methodology of use

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED 
     Research or Development 
     Not applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention may relate to fingernail guides. More specifically, the present invention may relate to fingernail guides used in applying manicures to fingernails. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The aesthetics of finely groomed and manicured fingernails is appreciated by many segments of society. One well-liked fingernail manicure is a polychromatic or French manicure wherein the tip of the nail receives one color while the base of nail receives one or more different colors (or a clear coat.) The colors of this manicure may be colored polymer coatings. To create the polymer coating, the manicure technician may dip a brush into the monomer liquid and then may dip the brush into colored monomer powder to form the color polymer coating. The technician may then use a brush to apply the polymer coating, which has a mud-like consistency, onto the fingernail surface (and/or nail extension affixed to the fingernail). 
     The key to this type of manicure is that the interface or meeting of the two or more different polymer coatings that substantially presents a curved border (e.g., demarcation curve) located proximate to the edge of the finger. To provide an aesthetically pleasing demarcation curve, which can be very hard to hand apply using just a brush, many manicure technicians after applying a polymer coating may use a curved-edge instrument (sometimes, using the curved edge of a spare nail extension) to scrape away an excess portion of the applied polymer coating to create the desired demarcation curve. 
     A second color polymer coating may be applied to remaining exposed portion of the nail (or nail/nail extension combination) and generally covers the remainder of the fingernail up to the demarcation curve. Once applied to the fingernail, the multiple polymer coatings are substantially dried (as activated by a UV-light, or the evaporation of a solvent common to the polymers). The dried polymer coatings can then be polished or a clear coat polymer may be applied over the previous polymer coatings and subsequently dried and polished to present the final manicure. 
     Once the polychromatic manicure is established, normal fingernail outgrowth generally moves the demarcation curve further away from the cuticle as new fingernail growth occurs at base of the fingernail/cuticle. This new fingernail growth is also noticeable in that it is not covered by any of the previously-applied polymer coatings. To remedy this occurrence, and reestablish the original location of the demarcation curve, the manicure technician may first re-cuts or grinds down the tip of fingernail/applied nail extension to its original position relative to the tip of the finger. The technician may then use a grinding means, such as a powered-rotary drill with a grinding bit, to grind down the previously-applied polymer coatings of the nail/nail extension so that new polymer coatings may be applied to reestablish the manicure and its demarcation curve at its original position on the fingernail. Generally, the grinding down of the original polymer coatings reduces the thickness of the original manicure to substantially allow an application of new polymer coatings to be applied over the original manicure without significantly increasing the thickness of refinished polychromatic manicure from that of the original manicure. 
     The step of grinding down the entire surface of the original polymer coatings needs to be done with care and skill by the manicure technician so that the grinding bit does not run across the flesh/skin portion of the customer&#39;s finger to abrade or otherwise cut it. The technician then reapplies the various polymer coatings to recreate the entire manicure. This step of re-establishing the polychromatic manicure not only takes time and skill to accomplish, but may result in addition costs that can make such re-establishment manicure procedure more expensive than the application of the original manicure. What is needed therefore is a re-establishment manicure methodology and an accompanying apparatus used in conjunction with a grinding means to remove only those portions of the previously-applied polymer coatings needed to re-establish the original position of the polychromatic manicure&#39;s demarcation curve between the different polymer coatings. 
     SUMMARY OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Advantages of One or More Embodiments of the Present Invention 
     The various embodiments of the present invention may, but do not necessarily, achieve one or more of the following advantages: 
     the ability to re-establish a manicure demarcation curve advanced out of its original position by new nail growth without grinding down all the polymer coatings previously laid down in the original manicure; 
     to provide a fingernail guide used to grind out of small portion of the polymer coatings previously laid down on the finger nail to re-establish the demarcation curve; 
     the ability to grasp and twist a fingernail guide into proper alignment on a fingernail; 
     to provide a finger nail guide through which the location of the cuticle may be observed to properly locate the edge of the nail guide used to guide the movement of a grinding means; 
     to provide to set of different-sized fingernail guides to accommodate a wide variety of different sized and shaped fingers and fingernails; 
     the ability to cover and protect the flesh portions of the finger while grinding down previously-applied fingernail polymer coatings to reestablish a demarcation curve; and 
     to provide a means to see through the nail guide and observe the position of the cuticle relative to the nail guide when the cuticle is otherwise covered by the guide; 
     the ability to have the nail guide accommodate the difference in height between the nail portion and cuticle/flesh portion of the finger; 
     to provide a place to rest the operators fingers when grasping the guide; and 
     the ability to reduce the expense of re-establishing demarcation curve for a polychromatic manicure. 
     These and other advantages may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     One possible embodiment of the invention could be a fingernail guide comprising of a body formed into a open-ring shape having a guide portion, a pair of trapezoidal-shaped wings, and a grip portion; the guide portion having the front guide edge and a back concave curved edge, the two edges meeting one another to respectively form two side ends; each of the trapezoidal-shaped wings being attached to respective side end to project downward from the guide portion; the grip portion being a circular plate perpendicularly attached to back concave curved edge and projecting upward from the guide portion; wherein the fingernail guide is placed upon a finger to cover a portion of a manicured fingernail so that the front guide edge faces the tip of the nail; the back concave curved edge is proximate to the cuticle; and the wings straddle the sides of the finger. 
     Another possible embodiment of the invention could be combination of a fingernail guide and a grinding means comprising of a fingernail guide having a guide portion, a pair of trapezoidal-shaped wings, and a grip portion formed into a open ring shape; the guide portion having the front guide edge and a back concave curved edge; each of the trapezoidal-shaped wings attached to the guide portion between the front guide edge and a back concave curved edge, the wings further projecting downward from the guide portion; the grip portion being a circular plate perpendicularly attached to back concave curved edge and projecting upward and away from the guide portion; a grinding means comprising of a cutting bit powered by a powered rotary drill; wherein the fingernail guide is placed upon a finger to cover a portion of a polychromatic polymer manicured fingernail so that the front guide edge faces the tip of the nail, the back concave curved edge is proximate to the cuticle, and the wings straddle the sides of the finger, and the grinding means operates against both the fingernail and the front guide edge to create a new demarcation curve. 
     Another possible embodiment could be a methodology of operating a fingernail guide comprising of the following steps, providing an open-ring shaped fingernail guide having a guide portion, two trapezoidal-shaped wings attaching to the guide portion; the guide portion further providing a guide means for directing the movement of a grinding means; providing a grinding means for removing one or more portions of one or more polymer coatings from a fingernail; placing the fingernail guide upon the finger having a fingernail polychromatic manicure of two or more polymer coatings and a demarcation curve so that the wings straddle the finger to place the guide means facing the tip of the finger nail to denote the location of a new demarcation curve; and bringing the grinding means in contact with the front guide edge to guide the removal of portions of one or more polymer coatings to help form a new demarcation curve. 
     The above description sets forth, rather broadly, a summary of one embodiment of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present invention may not include all of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is substantially a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is substantially a front elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3 ,  3 A, and  3 B substantially show the invention in a flattened or planar view with various outline shapes of the guide means. 
         FIG. 4  is substantially a perspective view of the kit form of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is substantially a flowchart for a process of operating the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is substantially a perspective view of present invention located upon a finger. 
         FIG. 7  is substantially a perspective view of the present invention being held in place by the operator&#39;s fingers. 
         FIG. 8  is substantially a perspective view of the present invention being twisted in place by the operator&#39;s fingers. 
         FIG. 9  is substantially a perspective view showing the grinding means applied to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is substantially a perspective view showing the new demarcation curve groove and natural growth groove of the nail. 
         FIG. 11  is substantially a perspective view showing a first polymer coating filling in the naturally occurring groove. 
         FIG. 12  is substantially a perspective view showing second polymer coating being used to fill in the new demarcation curve groove. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     One possible embodiment of the present invention  10  could comprise of a finger nail guide  20  and methodology for its use  200 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the guide  20  could comprise of a body  22  compromising of a guide portion  30 , a pair of trapezoidal-shaped wings  50 , and a grip portion  60 . The guide portion  30  could have a front guide edge  32  and a back concave curved edge  34  wherein the side ends  36  formed by front guide edge  32  and the back concave curved edge  34  coming towards one another are generally curved downwards and towards one another to substantially form the body  22  as open-ring shape further generally denoting a hollow, double-open ended passage. The front guide edge  32  could be a guide means  38  against which a grinding means  290  (e.g., a grind bit  300 , sanding drum [not shown] and the like powered by a powered rotary drill  302  as substantially shown in  FIG. 9 ) is pressed against to generally guide the grinding mean&#39;s movement upon the nail  402  in removing portions of the previously applied polymer coats to re-establish the demarcation curve  404  upon the nail  402 . The back concave curved edge  32  substantially accommodates the curve presented by the flesh of the client&#39;s finger  400  (to which the guide  20  is being applied) proximate to the cuticle and first knuckle. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A,  3 B, the front guide edge  32  in other embodiments of the invention  10  that could have a wide variety of shapes could be imparted to the front guide edge  32 , including non-curved shapes, (e.g., straight-edge, a pointed-edge, concave-edge, and the alike) as needed or otherwise required by the artistry of the manicure, and still be considered part of the invention  10 . The shape of demarcation curve  404  to be re-established on the client&#39;s nail  402  is determined by the selected shape of the front guide edge  32 . 
     The guide portion  30  could further feature a pair of triangular-shaped cutouts  40  to allow the operator to see where the location of the cuticle  406  when the guide  20  is placed upon the finger  400  and cuticle  406  would otherwise be covered-up by the guide  20  (as substantially shown in  FIG. 6 ). At least one cutout  40  could be placed on each respective side of the guide portion  30 . The placement of the cutouts  40  could form a center line post  42  that could further be humped to further allow the guide  20  to accommodate the difference in heights between the nail  402  and the cuticle/fleshy portion of the finger  400 . 
     Each of the pair of the trapezoidal-shaped wings  50  could have a narrow end  52  and a wide end  54 . The narrow end  52  could be used to attach the wing  50  to a respective side ends  36  of the guide portion  30  and then wing  50  could descend downwards and away from the guide portion  30 . The wings  50  could generally have an outwardly curved orientation generally contributing to the open-ring shape of the guide  20 . The wide ends  54  could generally be flared upward, generally towards the guide portion  30  for each to substantially form a saddle means  56  to generally receive and at least partially encapsulate a portion of an operator&#39;s finger  502 . In this manner, (as substantially shown in  FIG. 7 ) once the guide  20  is placed upon the client&#39;s finger  400  and the wings  50  are substantially straddling the sides of the finger  402 , the operator, places at least two of its fingers  402  (e.g., a finger and a thumb) against the wings  50  to respectively engage the upwardly-flared or curved wide end  54 . In putting pressure down against the wide ends  54  and pinching the wings  50  together and against the client&#39;s finger  400  to be manicured, the operator  500  can securely locate and hold the guide  20  in place upon the finger  400  to be manicured. To further assist in the placement of the guide  20  upon the finger  400  to be manicured, the wings  50  could further have a roughen surface  58  (e.g., indentations such as stippling, raised bars, and the like) to provide greater friction that allows the operator&#39;s fingers  502  to better grasp the wings  50  during operation. 
     The grip portion  60  could be a circular plate  62  perpendicularly attached to the curved concave back edge and to generally project itself upwards and away from the guide portion. The grip portion  60  could further feature a roughened surface  64  (indentations such as raised stippling, bars, and the like) to allow the operator  500  to better grasp the grip portion  60  during operation. The grip portion  60  could be grasped by the operator  500  (as substantially shown in  FIG. 8 ) and twisted to further rotate the guide  20  in proper orientation upon the client&#39;s finger  400  and its nail  402 . 
     The fingernail guide  20  could be made from resilient material, such as steel, whose selected qualities could allow the nail guide  20  to substantially resist the operation of grinding bit  300  driven by a powered rotary drill  302  being moved against its front guide edge  30 . In this manner, the general outline of the nail guide could be punched from sheet of steel and then formed accordingly into its desired shape. 
     As substantially shown in  FIG. 4 , another embodiment of the invention  20 , because individuals have different sized and shaped fingers with correspondingly different sized and shaped nails, could be a form of a nail guide kit  600  having a set of different sized and shaped nail guides  20 . The kit  600  could feature container  602  with a clear, top lid  604  (featuring suitable indicia) movably attached to a side of a compartment  606 . The compartment  606  could display and reversibly hold in place the set of nail guides  20  in order by size. 
     Methodology 
     As substantially shown in  FIG. 5  is a methodology or process  200  of operating or using the nail guide  20  could start with step  202 , selection of manicure and guide. In this step  202 , the manicure technician, in discussing various manicure options with the client, could decide what kind of manicure to apply to the client&#39;s fingers. If selection is for a pre-applied polychromatic manicure using polymer coatings, then the manicure technician could select the nail guide(s), rotary bit, rotary tools, polymer nail colors and other suitable manicure implements. The technician could select the nail guide  20  according to shape of the front guide edge  32  (e.g., giving the shape to the new demarcation curve that will be re-established on the client&#39;s finger) as well as the size and shape of the client&#39;s finger/fingernail. The technician could select and otherwise identify those nail guides  20  that would be used other fingers  400  of the client. After step  202  is substantially completed, the process  200  could proceed upon step  204 , applying nail guide to client finger. 
     As substantially shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , and  8 , step  204 , applying the nail guide to the client&#39;s finger, could involve the operator or manicure technician  500  gently grasping the guide  20  by its wings  50  (and/or the grip portion  60 ) and place the guide  20  upon the desired finger  400  of the client so that guide portion  30  covers a portion of the polychromatic manicured nail  402  and straddles the finger  400  with the trapezoidal-shaped wings  50 . In this manner, the front guide edge  32  should be facing the tip of the nail  402  while the back concave curved edge  34  is facing the first knuckle. The humped center line post  42 , when nail guide  20  is properly positioned upon the client&#39;s finger  400 , generally accommodates the difference in height between the nail  402  and the cuticle/fleshy portion of the finger  400 . 
     After initially securing the nail guide  20  to client&#39;s finger/nail by pressing together the wings  50  together to straddle and engage the finger  400  and pressing downward on the upward curved wide ends  54  of the wings  50 , the operator  500  can further orient the nail guide  20  by grasping (e.g., with the fingers  502  of it&#39;s free hand) the grip portion  60  and twisting it as required to rotate the nail guide  20  to correctly place front guide edge  32  relative to the location and orientation of the cuticle  406  (as seen through the cutouts  40 ). Once properly oriented and positioned on the nail/finger, the operator  500  can firmly squeeze the wings  50  together and downward (engaging the saddle means  65 ) to reversibly secure the nail guide  20  to the client&#39;s finger  400  in the desired orientation and placement. At the substantial completion of step  204 , the process  200  could proceed to step  206 , the application of the grinding means to the guide. 
     In step  206 , application of the grinding means to the nail guide, as substantially shown in  FIG. 9 , the operator/manicure technician could operate the grinding means  290  (e.g., a powered rotary drill  310  with cutting bit  300  or sander drum bit) and bring the top edge of the bit  300  up to and against the front guide edge  32 . By making contact with the polymer coated nail  402  and moving the grinding bit  300  back and forth from one end of the front guide edge  32  to the other, the operator can remove the old demarcation edge (established between the previously-applied plurality of polymer color coatings) from the nail  402 . The guide portion  30  and wings  50  generally protect the covered portions of the nail  402  and the fleshy portions of the straddled finger  402  from unwanted cutting activity of the grinding means  290 . 
     As substantially shown in  FIG. 10 , after removing one or more portions of the previously-applied polymer nail coatings to establish the new demarcation curve groove  406 , the manicure technician can power down and set aside the grinding means  290  and remove the nail guide  20  from the finger  400 . After substantially completing this step, the process  200  can move onto decision  208 , whether or not apply guide other fingers. 
     At decision  208 , whether or not apply guide other fingers, the operator decides whether to go back to step  204  to apply a selected nail guide  20  for another respective finger  400  or to go onto step  210 , apply new polymer coating, if all, of desired fingers  400  of the client have been given respective new demarcation curves  404 . 
     At step  210 , apply new polymer coating, as substantially shown in  FIG. 11 , the manicure technician or operator may select a first color polymer coating(s)  408  for filling the naturally occurring groove  405  next to the cuticle  406  created by nail growth. The operator then may fill in the groove  405  with this additional polymer coating(s)  408  using a brush. 
     As substantially shown in  FIG. 12 , the nail technician then selects a second color polymer coating  409  to the fill in the demarcation curve groove  407 . The operator then may fill in the groove  407  with the second polymer coating  409  using a brush. The operator then can polish the new and established polymer coatings and/or may apply a clear polymer coating over the entire nail. At the substantial completion of this step  210 , the process  200  can go back to step  202  for providing another polychromatic, polymer coating manicure. 
     CONCLUSION 
     Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 
     As shown above, the invention can be a cost-effective means to re-establish a manicure demarcation curve of a polychromatic manicure that is advanced out of its original position by new nail growth without grinding down all the polymer coatings previously laid down in the original manicure.