1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for curing an ultraviolet sensitive coating and bonding material which is applied to the surface of a person's fingernail and an artificial nail tip previously applied to the person's fingernail or a person's fingernail without an artificial tip. More particularly, this invention relates to a ultraviolet light curing apparatus having a finger guide for guiding the person's fingernail and applied nail tip to a predetermined location for curing.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
For many years women have spent large sums and expended many hours in beauty salons having their fingernails treated by cosmetologists in order to improve the appearance of their fingernails.
In times past, women's fingernails were worn long and were carefully manicured in order to present a slender, long and uniformly curved configuration. However, in view of the fact that such persons wearing these elegant fingernails were often employed as secretaries working with key operated machines, such as typewriters, much frustration was caused by such slender fingernails breaking through contact with the keys of these typewriters or the like.
In view of this aforementioned problem, various artificial materials were developed so that the artificial nail could be applied over the top of the natural fingernail and thereafter be buffed and filed to the desired configuration.
Not only has the advent of artificial fingernails to a large extent overcome the problem of broken nails, but more particularly a person could instantly have such artificial fingernails applied by a cosmetologist without the need for growing the natural fingernails to the required dimensions.
Usually when such artificial nail tips are applied to the person's fingernail it is necessary that the cosmetologist first of all prepare the person's natural fingernail by cleaning it and by making a straight cut through the tip of the natural fingernail transverse to the length of the fingernail. A nail tip is then selected to match the size of the natural fingernail to which the nail tip is to be applied. Next a small amount of glue, such as a cyanoacrylate glue, is applied to the area of the natural fingernail which is to be overlapped by the nail tip. The nail tip is then placed onto the natural nail and held in place for a few seconds until the glue bonds. A space is left between the artificial nail tip and the cuticle to aid in blending the artificial nail surface to the natural nail surface. The artificial nail tip is then filed to blend in with the person's fingernail. The person's fingernail and artificial nail tip are then coated with a fingernail polish.
In recent practice however, the artificial nail tip is not filed to blend in with the person's natural fingernail. Instead the artificial tip is first bonded to the natural fingernail by the method described above, then an ultravoilet sensitive (curable) bonding material is then applied to both the artificial tip and natural fingernail. The now coated nails are bathed in ultravoilet light initiating polymerization (photoinitiation). That is, the entire nail surface is coated from the cuticle forward as shown in FIG. 12. Prior art apparatus includes lamps and lamp enclosures which provide a source of ultraviolet light for accomplishing the curing process. These apparatus require the holding of the hands at different positions without benefit of total support in order to cure the bonding material. In these prior art apparatus problems have been experienced in that the ultraviolet sensitive material cures unevenly resulting in a tacky and uneven nail surface. Also, burns to the skin have resulted because of the higher watt bulbs used in order to speed the process.
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for curing an ultraviolet sensitive coating and bonding material applied to the surface of a person's natural fingernail and an artificial fingernail attached thereon that overcomes the aforementioned inadequacy of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which significantly contributes to the safety and reliability with such bonding material may be cured.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for curing an ultraviolet sensitive coating and bonding material applied to the surface of a person's fingernail and an artificial tip attached thereon, the apparatus including a finger guide slidably extending through an enclosure for guiding the person's fingernail and applied nail tip to a predetermined location within the enclosure such that the coating and bonding material is cured at the predetermined location.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus which includes an enclosure having a front face which defines an opening for the reception therein of a person's artificial nail tip when applied to the fingernail.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus including a plurality of lamps for emitting ultraviolet light for curing the coating and bonding material.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus including a first, second and third lamp with the first lamp secured to a top wall of the enclosure and the second and third lamps being secured to a rear wall of the enclosure.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus which includes an on/off electrical timer switch for energizing the lamps which emit ultraviolet light and timing their duration.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus in which the finger guide includes a shaped block for enabling the person whose nails are surfaced or coated with a ultraviolet light sensitive coating and bonding material, to grip the block such that the person's fingernails and attached nail tips are exposed to said ultraviolet light when the block is disposed in the predetermined location thereby resulting in an evenly cured, tightly bonded, contiguously level coat and smoothly surfaced nail tip.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a curing apparatus having a first rail means which includes a first and a second track secured to the block with the first and second tracks spaced and parallel to each other and a second rail means including a third and fourth track secured to the base of the enclosure. The third and fourth tracks are spaced and parallel relative to each other such that the first and the third tracks and the second and fourth tracks interconnect for guiding the block from the opening towards the predetermined location.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and application of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Particularly with regard to the use of the invention disclosed herein, this should not be construed to be limited to a curing apparatus for curing an ultraviolet sensitive coating and bonding material applied to the surface of one nail including an artificial tip attached or glued thereon, but should be construed as applicable to curing the ultraviolet sensitive coating and bonding material applied to a plurality of nail surfaces such that sets of nails surfaced with an ultraviolet curing sensitive material may be cured simultaneously.