Nail repair kit and method

• US 5,862,811 A
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: REVx Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Patricia A. Steele
• Inventors: Steele, Patricia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E.
• Application Number:
  US09/079,613
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 132/200, 132/73, 132/73.5, 132/75.6
• US Class Current: 132/200
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 29/18 Manicure or pedicure sets, e.g. combinations without case, etui, or the like combined with or on sheath of scissors B26B13/22, B26B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 31/00 Artificial nails

Abstract

A finger and toe nail repair kit and method wherein the kit comprises an adhesive which will both bond natural nail material and dissolve polystyrene, a multiplicity of polystyrene pellets, a cuticle stick, a buffing board with sufficient grit to grind a dried mixture of adhesive and polystyrene, and a buffing block to remove the shine from the nail after mending the nail and in preparation for a coating as desired. While the method comprises the placing adhesive directly in a crack or tear of a nail to be repaired, placing a polystyrene pellet longitudinally within the crack or tear while the adhesive is still wet, using the cuticle stick pressing the polystyrene pellet into the wet adhesive and crack or tear area allowing a portion of the pellet to be dissolved and become mixed with the adhesive and allowing the dissolved polystyrene and adhesive mixture to flow into the crack or tear, allowing the polystyrene and adhesive mixture to dry, removing the portion of the polystyrene pellet not dissolved by the adhesive, grinding the dried adhesive and polymer mixture to a desired level with the natural nail surface, buffing the nail surface to remove shine and prepare the nail for a desire coating.

Claims

1. A Nail Repair Kit comprising:

an adhesive in a container wherein the adhesive adheres natural fingernail and toenail material and which includes a solvent which will dissolve polystyrene, a multiplicity of polystyrene pellets each pellet about 3 to about 6 millimeters long and about 1/2 to about 2 millimeters in diameter, a cuticle stick which is coated with a coating which does not adhere to the adhesive or to a mixture of the adhesive and dissolved polystyrene, a grinding block which has a gritted surface which will grind dried adhesive and further will grind a dried mixture of the adhesive and the dissolved polystyrene, a buffing block with a gritted surface which will remove a shine from a natural nail surface, and a rectangular storage container for storing the components, wherein said container storage comprises a hinged lid for entry into the container storage and an interior surface coating which does not adhere to the adhesive further wherein said container includes a height which allows placement of the adhesive container in the container in a standing position.

2. The Nail Repair Kit of claim 1, wherein the solvent for the adhesive is selected form a group consisting of aromatic ketones, cyclic aliphatic ketones, alkyl aromatic ketones, aliphatic ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and combinations thereof.

3. The Nail Repair Kit and Method of claim 1, wherein the cuticle stick is constructed of material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. A Nail Repair Method for repairing damaged finger or toe nails which are either cracked or torn, comprising the steps:

applying an adhesive suitable for bonding natural nail material and dissolving polystyrene directly to the damaged area of the nail to be repaired, before the adhesive dries applying a polystyrene pellet in contact with the adhesive and longitudinally aligned with the damaged area to be repaired, depressing the polystyrene pellet into the nondried adhesive so that the adhesive dissolves a portion of the polystyrene pellet and the dissolved polystyrene mixes with the adhesive, allowing the adhesive and the mixture of dissolved polystyrene and adhesive to dry, removing a portion of the polystyrene pellet which has not been dissolved by the adhesive leaving dried adhesive and dried mixture of dissolved polystyrene and adhesive, grinding the dried adhesive and dried mixture of polystyrene and adhesive so that a level of the dried adhesive and mixture of polystyrene and adhesive is even with a natural nail surface.

5. The Nail Repair Method of claim 4 wherein the method further comprises the step:

holding the polystyrene pellet in place over the nondried adhesive with a cuticle stick until the adhesive and mixture of dissolved polystyrene and adhesive dries.