COATED ARTIFICIAL TIP AND USE IN A NAIL APPLIQUE KIT

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application titled “Coated Artificial Tip And Use In A Nail Applique Kit” is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/972,091 filed Dec. 6, 2024. U.S. application Ser. No. 18/972,091 claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/562,766 filed Mar. 8, 2024. Application Ser. No. 18/972,091 is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a coated artificial tip for application to a fingernail and an applique kit with the coated artificial tip. The coated artificial tip shaped to fit a fingernail is manufactured as a curved plastic piece with a cured colored or transparent polymeric top coating.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, consumers have enjoyed going to nail salons and having professional nail technicians apply and sculpture reactive nail gel builders or enhancement monomers or powders to build length and shape. However, it is a long process that typically requires highly skilled nail technicians and hours in the salon. In recent years, plastic artificial nails have become popular for consumers to decorate their nails with desired length, shape, and appearance at home. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is the most widely used plastic for artificial nail fabrication. Typically, consumers use cyanoacrylate-based glue to attach plastic artificial nails onto their natural nails. One of the biggest problems with the current ABS/cyanoacrylate system is that artificial nails can be detached from the nails easily (pop off/break off). During the wear of artificial nails, they may hit any surfaces with a significant impact force to causing pop off and/or break off. This is due primarily to the stiffness and poor impact resistance of ABS plastics.

The low elasticity and tear strength of ABS and acrylic plastics also make them vulnerable to cracking and chipping of artificial nails. During the wear of artificial nails, consumers can experience accidental bending and/or pinching of the thin plastic pieces resulting in splitting, chipping, and other physical damages. Another problem with ABS artificial nails is the uncomfortable/unnatural feeling on human nails. Because ABS are hard and rigid plastics, they do not tend to bend and flex with natural nails. Consumers with ABS artificial nails typically feel their nails being pulled outside, giving them uncomfortable experiences.

Sizing and fitting create additional challenges for consumers trying to self-apply plastic artificial nails. The shapes and sizes of natural nails vary from person to person, finger to finger, and even on the same finger and the nails change over time. Therefore, fitting a plastic nail with a standard size/shape onto a specific finger is always challenging for consumers. Both ABS and acrylic are rigid hard plastics with high stiffness, which makes their adjustment on natural nails very difficult. Consumers need to apply hard glues to fill the gaps in between their natural nails and artificial nails to attach them properly.

In recent years, applications of plastic based extension nails have flourished in nail salons, due to the fact that salon extension nails last longer than self-applied artificial nails and do not have the plastic feel and appearance. In this setting, professional manicurists apply a UV curable extension gel to the natural nails, then press on transparent/semi-transparent plastic nails, followed by UV curing. Next, gel color and clear topcoat are applied to provide desired appearance. When the consumers are ready to remove the extension system, the manicurists must to mechanically file off the UV gel and plastic extension mechanically and soak off residues with acetone or other organic solvents. Both application and removal processes are time consuming, as consumers can sit in the salon for hours. The removal process often causes damage to natural nails mechanically and/or chemically.

An alternative to a plastic based extension nail has been preparation of a cured UV gel extended tip. This alternative does not involve a plastic piece serving as a base for the extended tip. The UV gel employed in this technique is designed to be self-supporting so that the uncured gel can be applied to the nail bed and extended beyond the tip of the natural nail. Application of this technique is practiced by professional manicurists. Several to many coats of the uncured UV gel are applied and interim at least partial curing of the extended gel tip is often made. The process is both time consuming and tedious. It often involved removal of portions of the partially cured UV gel and intermediate smoothing of the gel surface to eventually produce the extended tip that is attractive and comfortable. Attempts of consumers to produce a UV gel extended tip usually are disastrous owing to inability to maintain self-sustaining shape of the gel, ineffective and/or over curing of intermediate portions of the gel and inability to produce smooth, even, unwrinkled gel surfaces.

Therefore, consumers are looking for novel nail extension solutions that are easy to self-apply and remove, do not require application in the professional salon, do not require professional manicurists, incorporate color, feel and look like UV gel extended tips, are long lasting and do not damage natural nails.

For these reasons, development of nail extension and associated application methods that avoid and/or minimize these problems are sought. Among the objects for these developments are colored nail extensions, described herein as coated artificial tip that have less “pop-off” problems and better durability, are not uncomfortably thick, do not lose their color, do not chip or crack while providing a comfortable feeling when attached to fingernails.

SUMMARY

These and other objects are achieved by aspects of the present invention which are directed to a coated artificial tip that prevents and/or minimizes “pop-offs”, a coated artificial tip construction that delivers significant comfort and avoids an “artificial appearance”, and a corresponding kit and method that enable development of a firmly held, comfortable, attractive coated artificial tip on a nail plate. Embodiments incorporating these aspects include the kit comprising at least a two-part combination of the new coated artificial tip and an adhesive, preferably a slip/pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA construct), more preferably a two sided PSA construct.

Embodiments of the coated artificial tip incorporate shape and construction that achieve improvements in fit, comfort, wearability, longevity and shape. Embodiments of the coated artificial tip incorporate a colored or transparent UV coating bound to the double curved plastic piece (hereinafter artificial tip). Embodiments of the coated artificial tip and its method of attachment to a natural nail plate achieve protection of the natural nail plate, elimination and/or minimization of pop-off, avoidance of unacceptable and/or potentially harmful chemicals, ease of manipulation of attachment, avoidance of unacceptable sensory perceptions and development of pleasing sensory perceptions.

Embodiments of the coated artificial tip include the double curved plastic piece shaped to fit a fingernail, i.e., the artificial tip, to which is bound during manufacture the colored or transparent UV coating. The artificial tip is curved in three dimensions for fitting a natural fingernail as a result of the combination of intersecting longitudinal and latitudinal curves. The artificial tip has cuticle and distal ends, left and right sides, top and bottom surfaces, and perimeter shapes, widths, lengths and thicknesses for fitting natural fingernails. The colored or transparent UV coating bound to the top surface of the artificial tip is produced during manufacture by extrusion, spray, 3D print, or liquid deposition of a UV coating composition onto the top surface of the artificial tip. The colored or transparent coating bound to the artificial tip is flexible yet strong so that the flexibility of the artificial tip is not hindered appreciably by the coating. These features enable facile attachment of the coated artificial tip to the natural nails and provide a glove fit of the embodiments of the coated artificial tip onto the natural fingernails. These features deliver comfortable, fitted coated artificial tips onto fingernails and provide attractive natural shapes. These features enhance the fit, comfort, and wearability of the coated artificial tips and enhance the attractiveness of the coated artificial tips attached to nail plates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a top plane view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 2 depicts a side plane view of the artificial tip without coat and a cross-section of the artificial tip near the apex.

FIG. 3A depicts an elevated cuticle end view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 3B depicts a top perspective view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 4 depicts a bottom plane view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 5A depicts a cuticle end plane view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 5B depicts a distal (tip) end plane view of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 6 depicts the eight typical overall shapes of the artificial tip without coat.

FIG. 7 depicts the side view of the coated artificial tip showing the coat on the top surface.

FIG. 7A depicts a cross section at the cuticle end of the coated artificial tip showing the coat cross section

FIG. 7B depicts a cross section along the longitudinal curve past the apex and toward the distal tip.

FIG. 7C depicts a cross section at the distal tip end of the coated artificial tip showing the coat cross section

FIG. 8 depicts an exploded perspective view of the coated artificial tip showing its transparent cured UV coat, its colored cured UV coat, its uncoated artificial tip and its PSA adhesive.

FIG. 9 depicts examples of an uncoated artificial tip, a coated artificial tip and an ABS plastic nail with coating.

FIG. 10 depicts examples of the coated artificial tip attached by a PSA tab to a fingernail, and a full extension cured gel tip on a fingernail.

DEFINITIONS OF AND FOR THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

As used in the specification and the appended statements and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, use of a plural term describing a thing or element includes the singular unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term (meth)acrylates includes a single (meth)acrylate as well as multiples.

The term “may” in the context of this application means “is able to” and is a synonym for the term “can” and is a “helper” syntax term with “is/be”, “includes” and “comprises.” The term “may” as used herein does not mean possibility or chance.

The term and/or in the context of this application means one or the other or both. For example, an aqueous solution of A and/or B means an aqueous solution of A alone, an aqueous solution of B alone and an aqueous solution of a combination of A and B. When more than two items are referred, the term and/or also means any combination of these multiple items as well as all and each.

The terms “about” and “approximately” as used herein, when referring to a numerical value or range, allow for a degree of variability in the value or range, and are understood to mean±10%, of a stated value or of a stated limit of a range.

If a value of a variable that is necessarily an integer, e.g., the number of carbon atoms in an alkyl group or the number of substituents on a ring, is described as a range, e.g., 0-4, what is meant is that the value can be any integer between 0 and 4 inclusive, i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. Similarly, values expressed in a range format should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range were explicitly recited. For example, a range of “about 0.1% to about 5%” or “about 0.1% to 5%” should be interpreted to include not just about 0.1% to about 5%, but also the individual values (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the indicated range.

The terms “comprising”, “comprises” and “comprised of” as used herein are synonymous with “including”, “includes” or “containing”, “contains”, and are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, non-recited members, elements or method steps.

For the purposes of the presently claimed invention, ‘‘% by weight’ or ‘wt %’’ as used in the presently claimed invention is with respect to the total weight of the recited composition. Further, the sum of wt % of all the compounds (components), as described herein, in the respective compositions may add up to 100 wt % when optional non-delineated components such as solvent, plasticizer, film formers, ancillary additives and the like are included. Accordingly, all percents of ingredients or components are given as weight-percentages relative to the total weight of the composition in which the ingredients and/or components are present, unless otherwise stated.

All average molecular weights of polymers are weight-average molecular weights, unless otherwise specified.

The term “substantially free” as the term is used herein means completely or almost completely; for example, a composition that is “substantially free” of a component either has none of the component or contains such a small amount that any relevant functional property of the composition is unaffected by the presence of the small amount of the component in question. A compound that is “substantially pure” has only negligible traces of impurities present.

The term “substantial” means a significant amount such as more than a majority amount. For example, a mixture of compounds A and B in which A is present in a substantial amount means that A is present at a weight percent or number of moles that is greater than the weight percent or number of moles of B. This term also means more than a minimal characteristic, examples of which include substantial flow or substantial transformation.

The terms “essential” and “essentially” are encompassed by the terms substantial and substantially so as to cover a smaller range than the terms substantial and substantially. The terms essential and essentially relating to purity or result mean equal to or more than 98% of the theoretic 100% purity or result.

The following groups of terms are used throughout this application: 1) preferred, preferably and preferable; 2) more preferred, more preferably and more preferable, 3) especially more preferred, especially more preferably and especially more preferable; 4) most preferred, most preferably and most preferably; 5) especially most preferred, especially most preferably and especially most preferable; and 6) very especially most preferred, very especially most preferably and very especially most preferable. These groups convey a meaning of preference for a group of substituents, structures, moieties, components and compounds. The degree of preference is self-explanatory by the terms themselves. Within each group, the meanings of the synonyms, preferred, preferably and preferable are the same. There is no difference in meaning in the context of this application when a group is described in a particular sentence as preferred and then in another sentence this same group is described as preferably. Not all six categories of preference are used in this application to describe each and every substituent, formula, subgenus integer symbol and atom designator. In some instances, two or three categories are used while in other categories five or six categories are used. The degree of preference as expressed by these terms for members of series which progress from many to a few individually named components is self-explanatory and internally consistent for the particular series being described.

Reference throughout this specification to “embodiment”, “one embodiment” or “preferred embodiment” or “more preferred embodiment” or “most preferred embodiment” means a feature of any one or more elements and can be used in connect with different elements of the invention.

The term film former means a fully formed polymer such as a poly(meth)acrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, cellulosic ether or ester or shellac that will form a film or layer when the film former in an organic or aqueous medium is coated on a substrate and dried to remove the medium. The film former typically does not undergo substantial cross-linking or other chemical reaction after its deposition as a film.

The term(meth)acrylate means either one alone and/or both of an acrylate ester and a methacrylate ester. When an alkyl methacrylate ester alone is to be described, the parenthesis around “meth” is excluded and the resulting term means the 1-methyl-1-carbanoyloxyalkyl ethene or alkyl methacrylate. In a similar fashion, the term alkyl acrylate means 1-carbanoyloxyalkyl ethene or alkyl acrylate.

The term monomer means an olefinic unsaturated organic compound, a.k.a. olefinic monomer, that is capable of undergoing polymerization to form a polymer having a carbon backbone. Examples include C1-C6 alkyl (meth)acrylate, C1-C6 alkyl crotonate, vinyl acetate, allyl hydroxide, allyl acetate, allyl amine, (meth)acrylic acid, crotonic acid, C2-C6 hydroxyalkyl or aminoalkyl (meth)acrylate, styrene and C5-C12 alkene (pentene, hexene, decene, dodecane). As applied to a (meth)acrylate monomer, this term means a (meth)acrylate monomer that is capable of polymerizing to form a poly (meth)acrylate.

The term dimer means an organic compound having at least two olefinic bonds, such as an olefinic dimer, trimer or tetramer, that is capable of chain extension and chain crosslinking when combined with an olefinic monomer. Examples include glycol diacrylate or dicrotonate, bis ((meth)alkenoyl) 1,ω-dihydroxy C2-C10 alkane, bis ((meth)alkenoyl 1-ω-oligourethane, divinyl benzene, glyceryl triacrylate or tricrotonate, pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate, and similar dimers, trimers and tetramers.

The term plasticizer means a compound that may be soluble to dispersible in a solid material such as a polymer and enables the macromolecular configuration of the mixture to exhibit flexibility not present in the polymer alone often by lowering the glass transition temperature curve of the polymer. Plasticizers for polyolefins and functionalized polyolefins are well-known. Examples include alkyl phthalate esters, alkyl adipate esters, alkyl sebacate esters, glycerol triacetate (triacetin) and acetyl tributyl citrate.

The term rheologic control agent means a rheology modifier that will thicken an otherwise free-flowing liquid composition. The modification renders the composition flowable when applied by spray, brush or other coating method but the composition will remain in a static position in a quiescent state. These agents are typically classed as thixotropic agents. Examples include polyvinyl alcohol, a polyethylene glycol, vegetable gum, laponites, fumed silica, smectite or montmorillonite clays optionally semisynthetically modified and hydrocarbon wax.

The term gel means a liquid within a three-dimensional network that forms at least a semi-solid-like consistency in the static, quiescent state. The gel has sufficient rheologic control and/or density and/or viscosity at rest (static state) to maintain continuous integrity of the liquid gel as a coating or layer on a flat or curved surface. The gel character of the liquid means that the liquid will not spontaneously flow off a surface on which it has been coated but can be readily removed by mechanical force such as by wiping with a cloth or tissue.

The term flowable means a liquid that will flow like water or an aqueous latex paint when contacted by mechanical means such as by a brush, sponge or other applicator.

Together, the terms gel and flowable mean that the liquid having these characteristics is thixotropic.

The terms nail or fingernail or natural nail mean a human fingernail and/or a human toenail and/or a human thumbnail having a cuticle end located where the nail emerges from under the skin (proximal nail fold) of the finger, thumb or toe, a distal end located at the end of the nail opposite the cuticle end, and a smile line which is the curved line of the nail where the nail ends its connection with the nail bed and the nail free edge starts. Nail plate is synonymous with nail or fingernail. All of these terms refer to the keratinaceous horny plate (nail) on top of the flesh forming the nail bed.

The term “size” in relation to coated artificial tip embodiments according to the invention means width and does not include length. According to the invention, there are sixteen size categories numbered from zero (0) to 15.

The term “user” means the person preparing and applying an artificial nail extension of the present invention. The user may be, for example, a professional manicurist who is different from the person on whose nails the artificial nail extension is to be applied. The user, for example, may also be the same as the person receiving the artificial nail extensions, i.e., the user may be the consumer.

In the following passages, different aspects of the subject matter are defined in more detail. Each aspect so defined may be combined with any other aspect or aspects unless clearly indicated to the contrary. In particular, any feature indicated as being preferred or advantageous may be combined with any other feature or features indicated as being preferred or advantageous. A particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may not be the same as another feature, structure or characteristic of another embodiment of the presently claimed invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “in a preferred embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment but may refer to different embodiments of the presently claimed invention. Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art from this disclosure. Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some, but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the subject matter, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the appended claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “preferred embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the presently claimed invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in a preferred embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment but may refer to different embodiments of the presently claimed invention. Furthermore, the features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some, but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the subject matter, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the appended claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A traditional plastic artificial nail is typically built from hard and stiff plastics like ABS or acrylics. A substantial thickness profile is required to achieve desired elongated nail appearance which results in an uncomfortable, stiff plastic attachment to the natural nail. Alternatively, a gel nail extension may be created from a liquid UV nail gel that maintains shape in an uncured state. Application and curing of the UV nail gel to form a gel nail extension requires sophisticated time-consuming application processes, typically accomplished at a professional nail salon, to achieve an appearance like the traditional plastic artificial nail. The resulting UV crosslinked gel nail extension is hard and yet flexible. Therefore, consumers are more satisfied with the feeling on nail of a gel nail extension created from such a UV gel.

The present invention combines the benefit of both systems. Embodiments of the coated artificial tip comprise 1) an artificial tip (double curved plastic piece), which is thinner and softer than traditional artificial nails; 2) one or more layers of a cured colored and/or transparent UV gel coating, which add thickness and strength to the uncoated artificial tip; 3) an optional pressure sensitive adhesive attached at the bottom of the coated artificial tip. Embodiments of the coated artificial tip demonstrate desired artificial nail length and profile, and maintain the superior comfort and appearance of a gel nail extension 1 configured as “plastic” artificial nail. An exploded perspective view of the coated artificial tip showing two kinds of cured UV coats, the corresponding artificial tip and an optional PSA pad for joining the coated artificial tip to a natural nail is provided by FIG. 8.

One aspect of the invention concerns the shape of the coated artificial tip. The shape incorporates a new design resulting in increases of comfort, wearability and appearance for the user. Another aspect of the invention concerns the production during manufacture of one or more artificial tips, the application to their top surfaces during manufacture of one or more layers of a UV gel composition of UV curable monomers and optional dimers and UV curing of the UV gel composition during manufacture to produce the coated artificial tips.

Embodiments of the coated artificial tip include but are not limited to members of a group of any of one or more of eight typical overall shapes (overall perimeters) with corresponding lengths and widths to match small, medium, large and extra-large fingernails. The construction, shape and dimensions of each member of each group deliver an improved fit, minimize “pop-off”, minimize edge catch and provide resistance to cracking. The shape of the fingernail covered with the coated artificial tip according to the invention has increased attractiveness due to the management of the position and height of the apex of the coated artificial tip in combination with the dimensions of the cuticle end and the distal end.

Another aspect of the invention concerns the UV cured coat of the coated artificial tip. The manufacturing techniques for combining the coating and the artificial tip to form the coated artificial tip during manufacture enable better control of coating component amounts, color or transparency, management of coat thickness variation, management of coat design and structure, flexibility, tensile strength and toughness and development of multiple layers of the coat. The production of multiple coats of differing color are accomplished to a degree not possible by professional salon production or by the consumer.

Yet another aspect of the invention concerns a nail applique kit which comprises a group of coated artificial tips with adhesive for attachment of the coated artificial tip(s) to the natural fingernail(s). The adhesive encompasses one of at least several different kinds of adherent materials including a double sided pressure sensitive (PSA) pad with single or dual release slips, and a pressure sensitive melt, a.k.a or a hotmelt PSA.

A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for manufacture of the coated artificial tip.

The Coated Artificial Tip

Embodiments of the coated artificial tip according to the invention are adapted to fit fingernails from their cuticle ends to at least their distal ends. These embodiments of the coated artificial tip comprise a double curved plastic piece, i.e., the artificial tip, having longitudinal and latitudinal curves adapted to fit the fingernail. The coat of the coated artificial tip is one or more layers of in situ formed polymer incorporating optional auxiliary agents, excipients and typical fingernail coating control agents. The coat may be transparent or may incorporate one or more colorants (pigments) or may be a combination of transparent and colored coating layers. Embodiments of the coated artificial tip are proportionately sized for fitting all widths of fingernails. The coated artificial tip with one or more layers of coat on the artificial tip is depicted as a plane side view presented by FIG. 7 with the cuticle cross-section, FIG. 7A, the longitudinal curve cross-section near the apex, FIG. 7B and the distal tip cross-section, FIG. 7C each showing the cured gel coating on the artificial tip. FIG. 7B depicts the single layer of cured coating 710 on top of and adhered to the surface of the plastic piece indicated by the designation 610. Designation 610 is also the cross-section at the apex of the artificial tip shown in FIG. 2. Although not designated, the cross-sections of the single layer cured coating are also shown on FIGS. 7A and 7C. An exploded perspective view of the plane view of the coated artificial tip of FIG. 7 is shown by FIG. 8.

The Artificial Tip as a Double Curved Plastic Piece

As depicted by FIGS. 1 and 4, the artificial tip of the coated artificial tip has a top surface (100), a bottom surface (200), a cuticle end (300), a distal end (a.k.a. tip) (400), a left edge (501), a right edge (502), a longitudinal length (600) measured as a straight line located midway between the left and right edges and extending from the midpoint cuticle end (301) to the midpoint distal end (401) and a width (503) constituting the widest span between the left (501) and right (502) edges at edge points (501p) and (502p).

The artificial tip is constructed of a polymer or copolymer of acrylate and/or urethane and/or ABS, and or polycarbonate, preferably acrylate and/or urethane, more preferably acrylate. The cuticle end of the artificial tip is highly flexible and has a thin cross-section; and its distal end is relatively less flexible than the cuticle end and has a thicker cross-section relative to the cross-section at the cuticle end. The artificial tip comprises any known overall shape as well as yet unknown derivatives thereof. Typical, known overall shapes include but are not limited to primary overall shapes such as round, oval, square, coffin, almond, squoval, ballerina and stiletto depicted in FIG. 6.

The artificial tip may comprise a (meth)acrylic polymer material or a (meth)acrylic copolymer with blocks of, segments of, random monomeric units of olefin monomer, ester monomer, polyol monomer, urethane monomer, or separate mixtures with polyolefin, polyester, polyol or polyurethane. The polymer or copolymer is either inert to the ingredients of the UV gel composition or optionally may include residual residues of hydroxyl and/or amine and/or olefinic groups to provide chemical binding with the ingredients of the UV gel composition. With either arrangement, binding between the coat and the polymer of the artificial tip provides a strong, mechanical and/or chemical attachment. The optional residual binding residues may be developed by incorporation of polymer components bearing the residual binding residues in mixture with the polymer material to be formed into the artificial tip. Alternatively, the optional residual binding residues may be incorporated as covalently bonded groups of the polymer material to be formed into the artificial tip shapes.

The mechanical properties of artificial tip are selected to enable the coated artificial tip to achieve desirable attributes such as flexibility, comfort, durability and appearance. While the cured UV coat adds strength and stiffness to that of the artificial tip, the low strength and high flexibility of the artificial tip enables the coated artificial tip to deliver desirable strength and flexibility for achievement of these attributes. The cured UV coating adds strength to the low strength and high flexibility of the artificial tip so that the coated artificial tip is not flimsy, and is resistant to tears and chip damage.

The mechanical properties of embodiments of the coated artificial tip can be measured by the Young's Modulus to show elastic deformation as the degree of force applied to the test sample to show the initiation of deformation and the degree of force applied to the test sample to show maximum resistance under normal wear conditions of the test sample by using a compression test. As described in detail in the following Examples section, this compression test provides these quantitative mechanical properties of embodiments of the coated artificial tip.

To achieve these mechanical properties of embodiments of the coated artificial tip, embodiments of the artificial tip have a Young's Modulus in a range of about 10 MPa to about 30 MPa, preferably within the range of about 15 MPa to about 20 MPa and a peak strength within a range of about 2 MPa to about 10 MPa, preferably within a range of about 3 MPa to about 6 MPa. When the artificial tip is combined with the cured UV coatings, embodiments of the coated artificial tip have a Young's Modulus in a range of about 17 MPa to about 32 MPa and a peak strength in a range of about 5 MPa to about 13 PMa, preferably about 6 MPa to about 10 MPa. These properties of embodiments of the coated artificial tip deliver good durability with breakage resistance and enable the one or more cured UV coats to add more strength without sacrificing flexibility.

Formation of the Artificial Tip

The material for forming the artificial tip according to the invention may be any commercial thermoplastic acrylic, urethane, or ABS, and or polycarbonate, plastic, preferably acrylic and/or urethane copolymer, more preferably acrylic polymer or copolymer suitable for use in forming artificial tips and in particular the coated artificial tip according to the invention. The artificial tip shapes may be produced by any industrial process for forming complex plastic shapes including but not limited to injection molding, compression molding, vacuum casting, extrusion, reaction injection molding, thermoforming and 3D printing.

The polymeric material used in this industrial process may be in the form of pellets, or other comminuted materials to begin forming the one or more coated artificial tips by one of the foregoing methods. Typically, the pellets or comminuted materials are melted and delivered to the industrial process such as but not limited to injection dye casting or to 3-D printing.

The injection molding method utilizes an individual casting die having at least two separatable parts which together form an internal cavity conforming to the size and shape of the desired individual artificial tip. The plastic pellets may be dried in a dryer with heat before introduction to the molding process. The dried pellets are then transferred to the feed zone of an extruder with temperature ranges suitable for beginning the melt extrusion of the chosen polymeric material. From the feed zone, the heated pellets enter the extrusion zones with temperatures sufficient to form flowable molten plastic material. The die/mold temperature is set to approximately a similar range of temperature for casting the individual artificial tip before coating. Following casting, the molten polymeric material in the individual die is allowed to cool. The two parts of the casting die are separated and the solidified, individual artificial tip may optionally be removed and optionally buffed to remove injection sprue. This process produces as volumetric castings the artificial tips according to the invention.

A series of casting dies for the injection dye cast method may be created by Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machining, or electrical discharge machining (EDM), or 3-D printing using a substrate such as silicone rubber or metal. The casting dies are configured to produce artificial tips (without coats) having the parameters and parameter ratios described below.

The 3-D printing method can also be utilized to produce the series of artificial tips though additive manufacturing. This method utilizes an industrial 3-D printing machine, associated industrial 3-D software and a prototype computer model of the artificial nail extension. Sectioned digital images of the prototype are entered into the 3-D software, and program parameters for all desired sizes and shapes of the artificial tip to be coated are entered according to 3-D software instructions. Molten polymeric material is delivered to the 3-D printing machine which serially will produce desired groups of shapes and sizes of the artificial tips.

Producing the Coat on the Artificial Tip

Following formation of the artificial tip, the UV curable gel may be coated on the top surface of the artificial tip by printing, brushing, spraying, rolling, reactive injection molding and/or otherwise building one or more layers of uncured UV gel composition on the artificial tip. The delivery may be made to a fresh injection molded individual “artificial tip on a stick”, to an unencumbered individual artificial tip, or to the individual artificial tip held in a fixture for holding the individual artificial tip. Preferably to coat, the artificial tip may be held in the bottom half of the injection, extrusion, casting, or thermoform mold or placed in a suitable fixture for holding the individual artificial tip. The peripheral lip of the mold or fixture preferably may be arranged to prevent runoff flow of the UV gel composition and to taper the edges of the UV gel composition as it is transformed into the coating.

Depending upon the viscosity, spreadability, and leveling of the UV gel composition and whether multiple colorants and/or particulates are to be included, one or more layers of the chosen UV gel composition may be applied to the artificial tip. A subsequently applied layer of UV gel composition can be applied without curing the previously applied layer, or can be applied after the previous layer is at least partially or completely cured. Individual layers of the UV gel composition may comprise the same or different UV gel composition with the same or different nail polish additives and the same or different colorants.

Application of the coating of the UV gel may be accomplished by a mechanical deposition process involving spraying, printing or otherwise applying the UV gel composition to the top surface of the artificial tip, followed by drying and UV curing the one or more applied layers of UV gel composition to form the coat on the artificial tip. The mechanical deposition process may also be applied to application of the UV gel composition by hot melt deposit, extruding or liquification spraying, printing or otherwise applying the UV gel composition to the top surface of the artificial tip.

The deposition process may be conducted while holding the artificial tip in its mold or by fitting the artificial tip onto a holding stand and initiating the mechanical deposition process. The entire process for forming the artificial tip and deposition of the UV gel composition may be arranged as an automated series of mechanical steps to produce the coated artificial tip. Batches of these corresponding apparatuses may be engaged to produce large quantities of the coated artificial tips. The deposition machinery for the UV gel composition can be arranged to deliver optionally transparent and multiple coloration and pigment materials to the UV gel composition to be applied to the artificial tips so that multiples of different color coated and/or transparent coatings of the coated artificial tips may be produced.

Following deposition of the UV gel composition on the top surface of the artificial tip, the UV gel composition is exposed to UV radiation as described below to cure the monomeric/dimeric ingredients of the UV gel composition and form the polymeric coat on the artificial tip. The UV curing process may be accomplished by transport of the holding stand(s) or half mold(s) with the one or more of the artificial tip(s) coated with the UV gel composition to a UV irradiation chamber. Alternatively, the UV curing process may be accomplished by maintaining the holding stand(s) or half mold(s) with artificial tip(s) coated with UV gel composition in place and initiating UV curing with UV diode lamps or LED lamps designed and integrated with the artificial tip formation process.

Thickness Coating Profile of the One or More Layers of Cured UV Coatings

Embodiments of the invention have a total thickness profile of the one or more layers of cured UV coating that vary depending upon location of the cured UV coat at the cuticle, distal end, edge and apex regions of the coated artificial tip. These variations are managed by controlling the deposition rate and speed of movement of the device delivering the UV gel to the uncoated artificial tip. The mechanized, automated operation of the delivery enables accurate control of the variable deposition across the top surface of the uncoated artificial tip.

The quantitative total thickness ranges for these regions include dimensions ranging from 0.03 to 1 mm. The total cured UV coating thickness profile across the entire top surface of the uncoated artificial tip averages about 0.03 to about 0.35 mm with thicknesses increasing in the following designated regions. As the total thickness profile of about 0.03-about 1 mm increases in these designated regions, the increases are tapered to provide substantially uniform slopes of change from the total profile to the thicker region quantities. The total thicknesses for these regions include:

• • a) the cuticle end region having a total cured UV coating thickness within a range of 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm, preferably with the range of 0.03 mm to 0.2 mm;
  • b) the distal tip end region having a total cured UV coating thickness within a range of 0.03 mm to 0.6 mm, preferably within a range of 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm;
  • c) the left and right edge regions having a total cured UV coating thickness within a range of 0.03 mm to 0.5 mm, preferably within a range of 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm;
  • d) the apex region having a total cured UV coating thickness within a range of 0.03 mm to 1 mm, preferably within a range of 0.25 mm to 0.4 mm.
    to mimic a professionally applied UV gel coating in salon. The cured UV coating adds strength to the artificial tip, so that embodiments of the coated artificial tip are not flimsy, and are resistant to tears and chip damage and have a Young's Modulus and Peak Compression Strength as described above. The thin edges also allow consumers to have a comfortable wear.

The combination of uncoated artificial tip and attached, cured UV coating with the foregoing thickness profile provides embodiments of the coated artificial tip which demonstrate mechanical properties leading to the desired flexibility, comfort, durability and appearance. Accordingly, embodiments of the coated artificial tip have a Young's Modulus within the range of 17 MPa to 32 MPa, preferably within the range of 22 MPa to 28 MPa; and a Peak Strength of within the range of 5 MPa to 13 MPa, preferably within the range of 6 MPa to 10 MPa. These mechanical properties ensure the comfort and durable wear of the embodiments of the coated artificial tips.

The Colored or Transparent Coat Formed from a UV Gel Composition

The cured UV coat attached to the artificial tip is produced in situ from a UV gel composition comprising monomers with optional multimeric (e.g. dimeric to tetrameric) crosslinkers. The UV gel composition is applied to the top surface of the artificial tip and UV cured to form the colored or transparent, cured coating on the artificial tip surface.

The primary monomers of the UV gel composition comprise one or more (meth)acrylate monomers and/or multimers. The UV gel composition may also contain supplemental additives including but not limited to colorants and pigments, photoinitiators, rheology control agents, UV photoinitiators, and ancillary agents for UV coatings provided that the supplemental additives do not soften or otherwise interfere with, disrupt or destroy the structure and shape of the artificial tip. Additionally, the multimers with (meth)acrylate and/or crotonate groups of the UV gel composition can also enter into a Michael addition reaction with corresponding hydroxy and/or amine groups of the artificial tip polymer material to provide covalent bonding with the polymer material.

The transformation of the UV gel composition to the coating depends upon the chemistry of the olefinic compounds of the UV gel composition. The transformation takes place with actinic/UV irradiation through use of photoinitiators. The transformation rate may be controlled by the quantity of irradiative energy applied.

UV Gel for UV Coating Composition

The monomer compound of the monomer/multimer combination of the UV gel composition may comprise a C1-C20 alkyl and/or C2-C20 hydroxyalkyl and/or a C5-C16 cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate ester or crotonate ester monomer. Preferably the alkyl, hydroxyalkyl and cycloalkyl carbon number are respectively C1-C15, C2-C15 and C5-C14, more preferably C1-C10, C2-C10, C5-C12 respectively and especially more preferably C1-C6, C2-C6 and C5-C10 respectively. The multimer compound of the UV gel may be a (meth)acrylate or crotonate multimer with a urethane, ester, amide, polyol or dimethyl siloxane multi chain oligomeric link between the multiple (meth)acrylate or crotonate groups terminating multiple chains of the multimer. Preferably, the multimer may be a tetramer having four terminal (meth)acrylate or crotonate groups, a trimer having three terminal (meth)acrylate or crotonate groups and/or a dimer having two terminal (meth)acrylate or crotonate groups or any combination of two or three thereof. Preferably, the multimer is a trimer or dimer or a combination thereof. More preferably, the multimer is a major portion of dimer and a minor portion of a trimer. Alternatively, the multimer is preferably a dimer.

The multimer with the oligomer of urethan, ester or dimethyl siloxane may be formed by combination of (meth)acrylic or crotonic acid with the corresponding multi-chain oligomer link coupler. If the corresponding oligomer link is a urethane and the termini are residues of (meth)acrylic or crotonic acid, the coupler may be a multi-isocyanate terminated oligo-urethane produced from a C3-C10 alkane diisocyanate and a C2-C8 alkanediol, triol or tetraol, hereinafter a multi-isocyanato multiunit alkyl urethane oligomer. Esterification of the multi-isocyanato groups of the oligomer with a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate or crotonate ester provides the multimer. The oligomer may have multiple isocyanate terminating groups for a tetramer, a trimer and/or a dimer; preferably a trimer and/or a dimer, more preferably a dimer. With a similar esterification step, if the corresponding oligomeric link is an ester, the coupler may be a multi-carboxy terminated oligo-ester produced from a C3-C10 alkanedioic acid and a C2-C8 alkanediol, triol and/or tetraol, hereinafter a multi-carboxy multiunit alkyl ester oligomer. If the corresponding oligomeric link is a polydimethyl siloxane, the coupler may be a multi-hydroxy multiunit polydimethylsiloxanyl oligomer. An alternative method of dimer formation may be practiced through use of a (meth)acrylic or crotonic acid and reaction of the hydroxy groups of the corresponding multi-hydroxyalkyl urethane, ester or polysiloxane coupler.

The multimer with an oligomer of an amide, polyol or alkylenyl may be formed by combination of a (meth)acrylic acid or crotonic acid with the corresponding oligomeric coupler through an amidation or esterification. If the corresponding oligomeric link is an amide, the coupler may be a multi-amine multiunit amide oligomer produced from a C3-C8 alkanedioic acid and a C2-C8 alkane multi-amine. If the corresponding oligomeric link is a polyol, the coupler may be a multi-hydroxy polyol produced from a C2-C5 epoxy-alkane, e.g., ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, oxetane, tetrahydrofuran or oxane or may be a tri-, tetra- or penta-methylol alkane. If the corresponding oligomeric link is an alkylenyl, the coupler may be an multi-hydroxy C3-C20 alkane.

Preferred examples include but are not limited to an oligomer coupler at least di- or tri- or tetra terminated by a (meth)acrylate group wherein the oligomer coupler is:

• • a) a C4-C16 alkane diol or triol or tetraol (terminated as ester groups with (meth)acrylic acid), or
  • b) a 2-5 unit ethylene oxide diol or triol or tetraol oligomer (terminated as ester groups with (meth)acrylic acid), or
  • c) a 2-5 unit propylene oxide diol or triol or tetraol oligomer (terminated as ester groups with (meth)acrylic acid), or
  • d) trimethylolpropane (triterminated as ester groups with (meth)acrylic acid), or
  • e) a 2-15 unit C3-C9 alkyl urethane oligomer with either i) α,ω-diisocyanato groups (diterminated as urethane groups with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate or ii) α,ω,ω tri-isocyanato groups (triterminated as urethane groups with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate), or
  • f) a 2-5 unit dimethylsiloxanyl oligomer with either i) α,ω-dihydroxy (diterminated as ester groups with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate) or ii) α,ω,ω tri-hydroxy (triterminated as ester groups with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate).

More preferred oligomer coupler examples include b), c), d) and e) above as dimers and/or trimers. An especially more preferred oligomer coupler example includes one or a combination of the dimers: i) an α,ω-diisocyanato 2 or 3 unit C6-C9 alkyl urethane oligomer and ii) an α,ω-diisocyanato 9 to 15 unit C6-C9 alkyl urethane oligomer wherein the terminal isocyanato groups are capped with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate to form urethanylalkyl (meth)acrylate termini.

Examples of the monomer preferably include methyl and/or ethyl and/or hydroxymethyl and/or hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate and/or hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, more preferably methyl and/or ethyl and/or hydroxyethyl and/or hydroxypropyl acrylate. More preferably, the dimer may be α,ω-diisocyanato 2 or 3 unit C6-C9 alkyl urethane oligomer carbamated with a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate or a di or tri ethylene oxide diesterified with acrylate.

Additional liquid (meth)acrylate monomers such as isobornyl (meth)acrylate, cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate as well as non-carboxyl olefinic monomers, dimers, trimers and tetramers such as but not limited to vinyl acetate, allyl acetate, allyl alcohol, allyl amine, styrene, C4 to C20 mono and/or diolefins may be included to provide semi-liquidity to the gel and dissolution and/or dispersion of solid and/or semisolid additives, ancillary agents, and particulates within the UV gel.

The monomer and multimer concentrations may be arranged so as to provide low to moderate to high cross linking, preferably high cross linking. A higher concentration of the multimer relative to the monomer will deliver higher crosslinking. A higher crosslinking result will contribute to a harder solid coating. The total concentration of monomer and multimer together may range from about 60 wt % to about 99% wt percent relative to the total weight of the UV gel composition, preferably from about 70 wt % to about 95 wt %, more preferably from about 75 wt % to about 95 wt %. The molar ratio of monomer to dimer wherein a mol of a multimer with multiple unsaturations is counted as one mol may range from about 20:1 to about 2:1, preferably about 10:1 to about 4:1, more preferably about 10:1 to about 3:1.

A photoinitiator such as benzophenone, benzophenone derivatives, phosphine oxide, diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phosphine oxide (TPO), ethyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phenyl phosphinate (TPO-L), 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, and similar type I and type II photoinitiators may be combined with the UV monomer/dimer gel to enable photopolymerization. The concentration of photoinitiator may range from 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt %, preferably 0.01 wt % to about 4 wt %, more preferably about 0.01 wt % to about 3 wt % relative to the total weight of the UV gel composition.

Photolysis of the UV gel composition with actinic radiation at wavelengths appropriate for the included photoinitiator converts the UV monomer/dimer to the solid, cured coat or film.

Exemplary UV gels and exemplary compositional disclosures of suitable UV gels for use according to the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,166,901 and 11,439,573, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The optional and/or occasional presence of organic solvents in such disclosures may be eliminated and dissolution and/or dispersion provided by liquid monomers and multimers as described above.

Ancillary Agents

The UV gel composition ay also optionally include one or more ancillary agents to provide rheology control, solubilization of individual components that are insoluble in each other, free radical scavenging, polymerization inhibition, thixotropy, plasticization, gel spreading and/or color provided that they do not chemically interact with the film forming polymer components and do not interact with the polymeric material of the artificial tip.

Ancillary agents providing at least in part these features include but are not limited to organic solvents, soluble and/or particulate pigments/colorants, gums such as locust gum, guar gum, acacia gum, xanthan gum and similar natural thickening agents; cationic polymers such as trimethylammonium alkyl cellulose, poly(trimethyl ammonium propyl (meth)acrylate); particulates such as silica, mordenite and/or bentonite and/or hectorite clay; one or more anionic and/or cationic and/or nonionic surfactants such as but not limited to lauryl sulfonate, laureth sulfonate, lauryl carboxylate, trimethylammonium halides of fatty C10-C26 alkyl/alkenyl groups such as behenyl, cetyl, stearyl, oleyl, myristyl or palmitoleyl; one or more plasticizers such as a phthalate ester, a trimellitate ester, an adipate ester or a dialkyl oligoglycol, or sucrose benzoate or trimethylpentanyl diisobutyrate or any combination thereof; a polysiloxane such as dimethicone or a polysilicone copolymer with ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide oligomer or polymer block units; hydroquinone, 4-methoxylphenol, oxygen scavenger, adhesion promoting primers such as methacrylic acid, ethyl acetate, and other common additives for UV gels.

A preformed film former (PFF) may be optionally included with the UV gel composition for the coating to enable at least in part a lacquer-like shine. Additionally, a PFF having physical characteristics making it capable of forming a two phase solid or PFF domains with a continuous phase of the cured UV gel enable at least in part an easy, mild removal by organic solvents such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and similar solvents.

The PFF comprises a preformed non-reactive film forming polymer such as but not limited to nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, tosylamide epoxy resin, acrylates copolymer, a polyester such as adipic acid/neopentylglycol/trimellitic anhydride copolymer and/or a styrene/acrylates copolymer and any mixture thereof. Preferably, the PFF is one or more of nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, polyester and/or an acrylates copolymer, more preferably a nitrocellulose or a polyester or a combination thereof. The concentration of the PFF in the UV gel may range from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %, preferably from about 2 wt % to about 12 wt %, more preferably about 4 wt % to about 8 wt % relative to the total weight of the UV gel. Dissolution and/or dispersion of a PFF in the UV gel composition is accomplished by miscibility and/or dispersibility in the liquid monomeric components of the UV gel composition. Solvent is not included for the reason that it will damage the polymer material of the artificial tip. A plasticizer may also be included with or without the PFF to provide additional flexibility to the cured coating.

Pigment and/or Colorant

The UV gel composition may optionally incorporate organic and/or inorganic pigments and/or colorants that are soluble and/or dispersible in the olefinic mixture of ingredients of the UV gel composition. The pigment or colorant may be combined with a portion of the UV gel composition. Agitation of the UV gel composition with pigment and/or colorant such as by stirring, sonic agitation, bladed container rotation or a similar mixing technique will distribute the pigment and/or colorant throughout the UV gel composition. The concentration of soluble and/or dispersible pigment and/or colorant may range from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % relative to the total weight of all components of the UV gel composition. The concentration may depend upon the intensity hue and shade of the soluble and/or dispersible pigment and/or colorant to be combined with the other components of the UV gel composition.

Organic and inorganic pigments (particulate form) and colorants (soluble form) are well known and available from commercial supply houses. Organic pigments include carbon black, lake types of anionic dye salts, phthalocyanine dyes, quinacridone dyes, dioxazines, isoindolines, perylenes, flavanthrones, anthraquinones, and azo dyes of dinitrogen (—N═N—) cores. Colorants include soluble vegetable dyes such as indigo, sepia, mango, beet, lycopene, red cabbage, turmeric, annatto, beta carotene, paprika, grape and similar vegetable colors. Inorganic pigments include iron oxide, chromium oxide, calcium carbonate, titanium oxide and similar metal compounds. Examples of soluble and/or dispersible pigment include but are not limited to titanium dioxide, iron oxides, yellow 5, yellow 10, blue 1, red 6, red 7, red 22, red 28, red 34, ferric ferrocyanide, orange 5, green 6, violet 2, carbon black, pearlescent pigments, and other similar organic and inorganic pigments.

The Artificial Tip Parameters and Dimensions

A set of coated artificial tips and each individual coated artificial tip for a hand may include any one or more of the overall shapes described above and depicted in FIG. 6. Individual artificial tips and members of the set of individual artificial tips for the coated artificial tips are illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5A, 5B and 6. The coated artificial tip and members of a set of individual coated artificial tips are illustrated by FIGS. 7 and 8. Together FIGS. 1-5 show artificial tips having a top surface (100), a bottom surface (200), a left (501) edge and a right (502) edge a longitudinal length (600), a cuticle end 300 having midpoint 301 and distal end 400 having midpoint 401 which are at the termini of the longitudinal length line 600.

As depicted on FIGS. 2 and 5, the longitudinal length (600) of the artificial tip is measured as a straight line ranging from about 15 mm to about 37 mm, preferably up to about 35 mm and its width (503) is measured as a straight line ranging from about 6 mm to about 15 mm. The longitudinal lengths are categorized as length categories of long, medium and short.

Further detail of the artificial tip according to the invention is provided by the following descriptions of these Figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates the top plane view of the artificial tip with top surface (100), left and right edges (501, 502) and cuticle and distal ends (300, 400).

FIG. 2 illustrates the side plane view of the artificial tip. The cuticle (300) and distal (400) ends provide the longitudinal end points of the longitudinal curve (601) having an ascending slope (603), a descending slope (604) which meet at apex (602) of the longitudinal curve (601). The apex (602) is positioned vertically above the apex point (606) on the longitudinal length line (600). Apex length (607) is the distance along the longitudinal length line (600) between the cuticle midpoint (301, FIG. 1) and the apex point (606). The longitudinal length line (600) is subsumed by a presumed horizontal plane between the left (FIG. 1, 501) and right (FIG. 1, 502) edges. Apex height (605) is the length of the line from apex 602 to apex point (606). The bracket designation at apex (602) indicates the cross-section of the apex shown by the inset (610).

FIG. 3A illustrates an elevated cuticle end view of the artificial tip. Cuticle end (300) has latitudinal curve 700 running from left side 501 to right end 502 and longitudinal curve 603 running up to apex 602.

FIG. 3B illustrates the side perspective view of the artificial tip. Cuticle end (300) and distal end (400) provide the longitudinal end points of the latitudinal curve (700) running from right edge (502) to left edge (501). The longitudinal curve (603, 604) combines with the longitudinal curve (700) to provide a perspective shape relating to a section of a hollow sphere which has been pointwise expanded outward to form the apex (602).

FIG. 4 illustrates the bottom plane view of the artificial tip. Bottom surface (200) is parallel to the top surface (100) and the cross section or thickness between the top (100) and bottom (200) surfaces varies with the smallest cross section being at the cuticle end (300), the largest cross section being at the distal end (400) and a medium cross section at the apex. The width (503) is measured at the widest point between the left (501) and right (502 edges) as marked by points (501p, 502p).

FIG. 5A illustrates the cuticle end plane view. The cuticle height (310) is measured from the presumed horizontal plane on which the left (501) and right (502) edges rest. The left (502) and right (502) edges curve upward from the presumed horizontal plane in the vicinity of the cuticle. The apex height (605) is the tallest height of the artificial tip seen from the cuticle end plane view. The cross section (320) of the top (100) and bottom (200) surfaces at the cuticle end (300) is shown.

FIG. 5B illustrates the distal end plane view. The distal height (410) is measured from the presumed horizontal plane between the left and right edges at the distal end. The distal end thickness (420) is the cross section between the top (100) and bottom (200) surfaces at the distal end.

FIG. 6 illustrates the overall shapes of the individual artificial tips.

Although not shown by FIGS. 1-6, the coating may be applied as described above to any overall shape to produce the individual coated artificial tip and members of sets of coated artificial tips depicted by FIGS. 1-6 having in addition to the artificial tip one or more layer of coating on their top surfaces as illustrated by FIGS. 7 and 8.

The parameters and dimensions of the individual artificial tips and members of sets of artificial tips illustrated by these Figures are provided by the following entries a-m wherein the numbers in parentheses refer to numbers of artificial tip drawings depicted on FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5A and 5B. The coating on the coated artificial tip is depicted by FIGS. 7 and 8.

For the individual coated artificial tips and members of sets of coated artificial tips, the quantitative parameters including but not limited to the longitudinal lengths, longitudinal curves, latitudinal curves, widths, apex lengths, apex heights, cuticle and distal end heights, ratio of cuticle height to apex height, and thicknesses of the cuticle, distal ends, the apex and edges are the same as described below for the artificial tip and members of a set thereof except that the cross-sectional thicknesses and heights given below for the artificial tip embodiments are varied according to the above-described Thickness Coating Profile parameters of embodiments of the cured UV coating to provide the corresponding cross-sectional thickness and heights for embodiments of the coated artificial tip and members of a set thereof.

Parameters and Dimensions of Entries a-m

• • a) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a longitudinal length (600) of from about 15 mm to about 37 mm, preferably up to about 35 mm, as a straight line from the midpoint (301) of cuticle end to the midpoint (401) of the distal end and running along the presumed horizontal plane between the left edge and right edge. Individual artificial tips and the members of a set of artificial tips fit into longitudinal length categories of:
    • 1) short ranging from about 15 mm to about 21 mm,
    • 2) medium ranging from about 19 mm to about 28 mm, and
    • 3) long ranging from about 24 mm to about 37 mm.

It would appear that the short category with a length of 19-21 mm overlaps with this same length of the medium category and the same would seem apparent for the medium and long categories. This apparent overlap is explained by coordination of width segments with the length categories. Each of the three length categories have widths coordinated with lengths such that for each length category, the widest width coincides with the longest length and the smallest width coincides with the shortest length. This coordination is divided into segments of width ranges for the length categories shown by Table A. This coordination explains why someone fitted with a 19-21 mm length artificial tip embodiment would otherwise have an issue choosing between short and medium categories. This person with a small width finger (6-8 mm) would use a medium length category uncoated artificial tip while a person with a large finger (12-15 mm) would use a short category artificial tip. Of course, a person with a small width finger (6-8 mm) or large width finger (12-15 mm) may choose to have an extremely long artificial tip such as 37 mm or longer. While impractical, such a choice would be within the long category.

TABLE A
Avg. Width (mm)	Short (mm)	Medium (mm)	Long (mm)
12-15	19-21	22-28	29-37
9.5-12	18-21	22-28	29-34
8-9.5	16-20	21-26	27-32
6-8	15-18	19-23	24-30

• • b) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a longitudinal curve (FIG. 1, 601) of the artificial tip running from the cuticle end to the distal end which increases in slope (FIG. 1, 603) from the cuticle end to an apex (FIG. 1, 602) and then decreases in slope (FIG. 1, 604) from the apex (602) to the distal end (FIG. 1, 400). The heights of the cuticle end, the apex and the distal end establish the slope of the longitudinal curve.
  • c) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have an apex point (606) on the longitudinal length which is directly below and coincident with the apex (602) of the longitudinal curve wherein the length between the cuticle end of the longitudinal length and the apex point is the apex length (607). The apex length depends upon whether the longitudinal length category is short, medium or long categorized according to the length category as described by Table A. This dependency can be expressed as a ratio of the apex length to the longitudinal length and is selected from a range of from 0.27 to 0.49. The ratio of the apex length to longitudinal length provides the position of the apex along the longitudinal curve. As the total longitudinal length increases, the ratio decreases so that the apex remains in an about the same position.

This variation of apex length expressed as a varying ratio of the longitudinal length presents an appearance of the artificial tip similar to the appearance of a natural nail. To accomplish this, the apex location remains in about the same location irrespective of the length of the artificial tip. This feature in part enables the user to have a “natural look” for his or her fingernail covered by the artificial tip.

The development of the “natural look” segments this ratio range by the length categories described above, Table A. Table B presents a summary of these ratio variations coordinated by minimum length segments of each length category. The selection of a short, medium or long category ratio depends upon length selected as well as the width of the finger to be fitted with the artificial tip as indicated by Table A. For example, a very small width of 6 mm corresponds to lengths between 15-18 mm for a short category while this same width corresponds to lengths between 19-23 in the medium category. The ratio chosen will accordingly be in the length category corresponding to the width/length given by Table A. Ratios for sizes, lengths and any overall shape for embodiments of the artificial tips not described by Table B can be compared and extrapolated from the Table A and B's segmented length categories and their corresponding ratios of apex length to longitudinal length. A choice of an extremely long uncoated artificial tip such as longer than 37 mm would have an Apex to Length Ratio extrapolated from the ranges of Tables A and B.

TABLE B
	Length Category	Length in mm	Apex to Length Ratio
	Short	15-21	0.41-0.49
	Medium	19-28	0.32-0.40
	Long	24-37	0.27-0.31

When individual artificial tips are fitted and attached to natural nails according to appropriate sizes (widths) and desired longitudinal lengths, the apex length in part enables the artificial tip to appear like a natural nail as discussed above. This variation of approximately 27% to 49% of the longitudinal length according to the inverse relationship of ratio to longitudinal length duplicates the apex and curve configurations of longer and shorter natural nails. This “natural look” is further advanced by combination of this ratio with the ratio of the cuticle to apex heights discussed below. This combination of ratios delivers a natural appearing artificial tip that does not appear artificial or unattractive as the natural nail grows. The apex position combined with the cuticle to apex height ratio are features of the embodiments of the artificial tip that provide the comfort, fit and attractive natural appearance of these embodiments attached to a finger or thumb nail plate.

• • d) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have an apex height (FIG. 2, 605) of from about 3 mm to about 6 mm, measured vertically from the top surface at the apex to the apex point on the longitudinal length. The apex height coincides directly with the length and width of the artificial tip such that the longest length and widest width coincide with the maximum apex height of the range and the shortest length and smallest width coincide with the minimum apex height of the range.
  • e) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a cuticle center height (FIG. 5, 310) of from about 1.5 mm to about 3.5 mm relative to the presumed horizontal plane between the left and right edges. For each length category, the cuticle height coincides directly with the length and width of the uncoated artificial tip such that the longest length and widest width coincide with the maximum cuticle height of the range and the shortest length and smallest width coincide with the minimum cuticle height of the range.
  • f) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a ratio of cuticle height (FIG. 5A, 310) to apex height (FIG. 5A, 605; FIG. 2, 605) ranging from about 0.5 to about 0.62 for all size categories and all length categories. The ratio of cuticle to apex heights is another feature of the embodiments of the uncoated artificial tip that delivers a natural appearing uncoated artificial tip that does not appear artificial or unattractive as the natural nail grows. The ratio of cuticle to apex height combines with the ratio of apex length to longitudinal length discussed above to deliver features of the embodiments of the artificial tip that provide the comfort, fit and attractive natural appearance of these embodiments attached to a finger or thumb nail plate.
  • g) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a latitudinal curve (FIG. 3a, FIG. 3b, 700) extending between the left and right edges and running from the cuticle end to the distal end.
  • h) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a width (FIG. 4, 503) between left and right edges of from about 6 mm to about 18 mm wherein the width is measured at the widest distance between the left and right edges.
  • i) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip s and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a distal end thickness (FIG. 5B, 420) ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 0.8 mm.
  • j) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a cuticle end thickness (FIG. 5A, 320) of about 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm, especially more preferably about 0.25 mm. The cuticle end thickness is the same for all length categories.
  • k) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the u artificial tip have an apex thickness (FIG. 2, XC 610) of the uncoated artificial tip of no more than about 0.45 to 0.6 mm.
  • l) Individual embodiments of the artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the artificial tip have a distal end (e.g., tip) height of from about 0.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, preferably from about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm, more preferably from about 0.5-1 mm to about 3.5 mm. The choice of a distal end height from this range depends directly on the size (width) and the distal end shape. For example, an embodiment of a large exemplary size (width) of about 15 mm, has a tip height of 3.0 while an embodiment of a small exemplary size of about 6 mm) has a tip height of 1.5 mm.
  • m) Individual embodiments of the coated artificial tip and the members of a set of embodiments of the coated artificial tip as shown by FIG. 7 have a coat (710) of at least one layer with an overall thickness profile of from about 0.035 mm to about 1 mm. As described above, the thickness of certain regions of the coated artificial tip are thicker than the overall thickness profile. These regions of thicker coating are not shown by FIG. 7.

The ratio of the apex height to the cuticle end height and the ratio of the apex height to the distal end height of individual coated artificial tips and sets thereof according to the invention deliver a sharper slope of curvature for the descending longitudinal curve between the apex and the distal end (sharper slope 604, FIG. 3) and an optimized slope of curvature for the ascending longitudinal curve between the cuticle end and the apex to provide comfort, fit and a natural look. When applied to fingernails, these ratios and the resulting sharper slopes of the individual coated artificial tips and sets thereof provide more comfortable and eye-catching appearances of the individual coated artificial tips and sets thereof relative to the commercial tips.

The general appearance of the individual coated artificial tips and the commercial tips adhered to fingernails and viewed from the side or top reveal shapes dominated by the apexes of the coated artificial tips. The slopes and ratios for the individual coated artificial tips enable appearance that is neither flat nor significantly raised relative to the natural nail plates. In addition, according to the invention, the individual coated artificial tips and members of a set of coated artificial tips have the ratio of cuticle height to apex height, cross-sectional dimensions of the cuticle top and bottom surfaces as well as a low cuticle end stiffness quotient which easily allow the attachment at the cuticle and distal end at same time.

The foregoing parameters of the coated artificial tip according to the invention, which parameters comprise the parameters of the artificial tip combined with the parameters of the coating, illustrate the shape that leads to a better fit and appearance for the coated artificial tip embodiments according to the invention. The parameters and dimensions of the coated artificial tips and members of sets thereof according to the invention prevent a rocking back and forth of the coated artificial tips when placed on a flat surface and pushed at either end. The edges of the coated artificial tips and members of a set of coated artificial tips are parallel and flat so that the embodiments do not rock. In contrast, the commercial nail tips rock when placed in the same arrangement. Their curved bottom edges are not flat and parallel relative such a flat surface.

The apex height, the ratio of the apex height to the cuticle end height and the ratio of the apex length to longitudinal length of the individual coated artificial tip and sets thereof deliver a longitudinal curve, an apex position and an apex location that provide comfort, fit and a natural look. When applied to fingernails, these heights, lengths and ratios of the individual coated artificial tip and sets thereof provide more comfortable and eye-catching appearances relative to the commercial tips.

The appearance of the individual coated artificial tips and the commercial tips adhered to fingernails and viewed from the side or top reveal shapes dominated by the apexes of the coated artificial tips and commercial tips. The parameters for the individual coated artificial tip enable appearance that is neither flat nor significantly raised relative to the natural nail plates. In contrast, the commercial tips tend to be either flat which signals unnatural flattening of the overall appearance or significantly raised at the middle which signals an undesirable thickening and discomfort.

In addition, according to the invention, the individual coated artificial tip and members of a set of the coated artificial tip have the ratio of cuticle height to apex height, cross-sectional dimensions of the cuticle top and bottom surfaces as well as a low cuticle end Stiffness quotient which easily allow the attachment at the cuticle and distal ends at same time. In contrast, commercial tip attachment must be made serially by attachment of one end and then the other because of the lack of edge flatness, the apex height and a higher cuticle end stiffness quotient. The serial attachment with commercial tips provides tips that are too curved or too flat when adhered serially to the nail plates.

Attachment with The Pressure Sensitive Adhesive

A pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) provides the attachment between the natural nail and the coated artificial tip. The PSA comprises based on block copolymers composed of olefinic copolymers or olefinic aromatic copolymers or acrylic esters or rubber polymers or silicone polymers. The olefinic units may be C2-C10 alkenes, phenyl C2-C10 alkenes, C1-C10 alkyl and/or branched alkyl (meth)acrylates, acrylonitrile and substituted vinyl units such as vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, allyl acetate, allyl chloride. Typically, one of the blocks is an elastomeric block while the other block is stiff or hard. The combination of elastomeric and hard blocks provides the adherence from the elastomeric blocks and resistance to separation from the hard blocks. Alternatively, the PSA may be a homogeneous mixture of one or more elastomeric polymers and one or more rigid or structural polymer.

The olefinic/olefinic aromatic PSA may be composed of polymer blocks of alkenes and vinyl aromatic monomers (A blocks), preferably styrene, ethylene, propylene, acrylonitrile and those formed predominantly by polymerization of vinyl monomers and 1,3-dienes (B blocks), such as, for example, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, alkyl (meth)acrylates/crotonates, butadiene and isoprene, or a copolymer of the two. The PSA's can also be partially or completely hydrogenated in the diene block. Block copolymers of vinyl aromatic compounds and isobutylene may also be used. Vinyl aromatic compounds and other homo- and copolymers comprising aromatic compounds (preferably C8- to C12-aromatic compounds) having glass transition temperatures of greater than 75° C., such as, for example, aromatic blocks comprising α-methylstyrene and higher alkyl (meth)acrylates may be used.

The pressure sensitive adhesive may alternatively be composed of an AB block copolymer of acrylate ester and vinyl ester monomers. Each A block, which has a Tg of at least 50° C., i.e., the hard block, may be the reaction product of a first monomer composition that contains an alkyl methacrylate, an aralkyl methacrylate, an aryl methacrylate, or a combination thereof. The B block, which has a Tg no greater than 20° C., i.e., the soft elastomeric block, is the reaction product of a second monomer composition that contains an alkyl(meth)acrylate, a heteroalkyl(meth)acrylate, a vinyl ester such as vinyl acetate, or a combination thereof. The block copolymer contains 20 to 50 weight percent A block and 50 to 80 weight percent B block based on the weight of the block copolymer.

The pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) may also be a commercially available water-based or solvent-based acrylic adhesive, a natural or synthetic rubber adhesive, a styrene block copolymer, a silicone adhesive or other similar organic polymer capable of forming mechanical, polar and hydrogen bonding interactions with a solid substance.

Exemplary PSA's include those from 3M, Henkel, Arkema, Ellsworth Adhesives, H. B. Fuller, Avery Dennison and others. A typical PSA is an acrylate PSA formed from a combination of acrylic acid and acrylate esters such as ethylhexyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and methyl acrylate. Examples include Crilat, Aberdingk AC, Arkril, Acronal, Eastman Ex, Glocryl, Acryltac and others.

Preferably, a two-sided adhesive film having coatings of PSA on both sides and having release papers covering both coatings can be used according to the invention. Preferably, the film side to contact the coated artificial tip is coated with a PSA that develops a stronger bonding arrangement than the PSA in the film side to contact the nail surface. With this arrangement, removal preferentially breaks the PSA bonds on the nail side so as to avoid and/or minimize damage to the nail plate.

More preferably, the PSA is adapted to be a pressure sensitive melt (PSM) composition. A solid pressure sensitive melt (PSM) composition can be softened or melted to at least a semi flowable material and applied to a substrate surface to form thereon a re-solidified dot, bead or ball (hereinafter globule) of PSM. With mild to moderate warming and pressure, the solid PSM may be softened to a gel-like consistency so that the substrate with the gel-like PSM may be pressed against another surface to form an adherent connection between the surfaces.

As applied to a coated artificial tip, the PSM can be applied as a hot melt to the bottom side of the coated artificial tip. The melt will resolidify at room temperature to a solid globule of PSM on the coated artificial tip. When the coated artificial tip with globule is fitted to a natural nail, the globule will soften from the application pressure and adherently bond the coated artificial tip to the fingernail.

The PSM composition can be formulated on the basis of one or more ethylene-vinyl acetate-styrene copolymers, at least one tackifier to enable initial adhesion and at least one plasticizer to adjust the melt temperature, re-softening temperature and adhesive set and cohesion. The tackifier may be a low molecular weight resin formed from mono, di and tri terpenes, phenols, and moderate molecular weight branched hydrocarbons. The plasticizer can comprise a hydrocarbon wax or high molecular weight fatty compound such as a fatty alcohol or fatty ester. A typical PSM composition includes polymeric ethylene-vinyl acetate, a hydroxyl containing hydrogenated terpene such as hydrogenated terpineol and a hydrocarbon wax such as squalane.

The Nail Applique Kit

The Kit embodiments according to the invention comprise single units of a selection of coated artificial tips sized as discussed above and below. The Kit embodiments according to the invention also comprise a selection of coated artificial tips as sets of appropriate coated artificial tip sizes relative to the natural fingernail widths of the person to whom the sets are to be applied. An assortment of cleaning wipes, emery nail files, scissors and “orange stick” shapers for trimming the coated artificial tips after they are bonded to nail plates.

The Kit may be packaged in a box or other appropriate packaging construct for holding the container unit or units, brushes and other materials needed for practice of the method according to the invention. Included in the Kit box may also be written instructions for fitting and bonding the coated artificial tips to the nail plates.

EXAMPLES

Coffin shaped medium size artificial tips were developed as an example. The dimensions of the coffin shaped artificial tip size #4 is shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1
Example of Uncoated artificial tip coffin shape size #4

					Apex	Distal
					Location	Tip	Cuticle	Apex
			Distal		from	Height/	Height/	Length/
		Apex	Tip	Cuticle	Cuticle	Apex	Apex	Total
Length	Width	Height	Height	Height	end	Height	Height	Length
25.62 mm	11.72 mm	5.09 mm	2.19 mm	3.13 mm	9.22 mm	0.43 mm	0.61 mm	0.36 mm

In this example, several layers of a colored UV gel composition were applied to the above described artificial tip, and to an ABS plastic nail by brushing to build desired appearance and thickness profile. The artificial tip and ABS plastic nail, each coated with the colored UV gel composition were irradiated with actinic radiation to cure the colored UV gel and produce an example of a coated artificial tip and a coated ABS plastic nail. A photograph of examples of the artificial tip, the coated artificial tip, and the coated ABS plastic nail is shown in FIG. 9. The coated artificial tip maintained the shape and structure of the artificial tip. FIG. 9 also shows the “wet” gel like shine and “plumping” effect produced by the coated artificial tip example.

FIG. 10 presents the coated artificial tip of FIG. 9 attached to a natural fingernail by a PSA tab. FIG. 10 also presents a full extension cured gel tip on a natural fingernail wherein the full extension cured gel tip was prepared by a manicurist using a brush-on application of the UV gel and curing the applied UV gel in place on the fingernail. These two examples show comparatively that the coated artificial tip attached to a fingernail and the full extension cured gel tip bound to a fingernail have essentially the same appearance. However, attachment of the example of the coated artificial tip to the fingernail required less than 10 seconds while the manicurist's application time to apply the UV gel and cure to provide the full extension cured gel tip was approximately 4-7 minutes. The thickness profile of the cured gel coating of the coated artificial tip of FIG. 9 was measured by a caliper and summarized in Table 2.

TABLE 2
Combined thickness of the UV coatings on coffin-shaped, size #4 artificial tips (n = 8).

Position	Tip End	Cuticle End	Lateral Edge	Apex
Thickness (mm)	0.21 ± 0.08	0.15 ± 0.05	0.28 ± 0.11	0.29 ± 0.15

Mechanical Test

The mechanical properties of different nail tips were evaluated by a compression test. Typically, a test tip specimen is placed at the center of a 150 mm diameter metal plate, and then a 50 KN loading cell attached to another 150 mm diameter metal plate moves down at a speed of 1 mm/min. After the top metal plate touches the apex of a nail tip, it continues to move down for 2 mm until the test is completed. Automatic Young's Modulus is calculated to evaluate the stiffness of the nail tip and the highest strength is identified as the Peak Strength to demonstrate how strong the nail tip is. An (uncoated) coffin shaped artificial tip (size #4), a coated artificial tip with the same shape and size, and ABS artificial nail with similar size and shape were tested. The data are summarized the Table 3. The (uncoated) artificial tip was designed to be soft and flexible, exhibiting lower Young's Modulus and Peak Strength. With multiple layers of UV coating added, the coated artificial tip showed increased stiffness and strength to provide balanced flexibility and durability. However, the Young's Modulus and Peak Strength of the coated artificial tip were significantly lower than those for the ABS plastic nail. The size and dimension parameters and the stiffness and peak strength deliver embodiments of the coated artificial tip that does not feel uncomfortable when worn and the damage of “pop off” is reduced.

TABLE 3
Mechanical properties from compression test.

	Young's Modulus	Peak Strength
Sample	(MPa)	(MPa)
Control 1 (Uncoated Artificial Tip)	19.32 ± 0.58	4.16 ± 0.03
Example 1 (Coated Artificial Tip)	26.18 ± 2.07	6.99 ± 0.82
Reference 1 (ABS Plastic 1 Tip)	34.12 ± 2.03	11.31 ± 0.31

This comparison demonstrates the much higher Young's Modulus and peak strength of a commercial plastic nail based on ABS plastic. The experimental results are consistent with the literature reports of a Young's Modulus of higher than 30 MPa and a peak strength higher than 10 MPa for ABS plastic nails.

THE STATEMENTS OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The Statements of the Invention set forth further Embodiments of the Invention and provide details described above as well as additional details according to the Invention. The Statements supplement and expand the description of the plastic extension embodiments set forth in the Detailed Description. Discrepancies between the Statements and Detailed Description are to be considered to be additive rather than subtractive.

Embodiment 1. A coated artificial tip for a fingernail comprising:

• • a curved plastic piece shaped to fit the fingernail comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a cuticle end, a distal end, a left edge and a right edge,
  • a longitudinal length of from about 15 mm to about 37 mm as a straight line from the cuticle end to the distal end running along a presumed horizontal plane between the left edge and the right edge;
  • a longitudinal curve of the curved plastic piece running from the cuticle end to the distal end wherein the longitudinal curve rises from the cuticle end to an apex and declines to the distal end,
  • the apex on the longitudinal curve is directly above and coincident with an apex point on the longitudinal length, and the length between the cuticle end and the apex point is the apex length wherein the apex length has a ratio of apex length to longitudinal length of from 0.27 to 0.49,
  • the apex has a height above the apex point of from about 3 mm to about 6 mm,
  • a longitudinal width of from 6 mm to about 18 mm as a straight line between the left and right edges at their widest point and running along the presumed horizontal plane between the left and right edges,
  • a latitudinal curve between the left and right edges wherein the latitudinal curve rises to a midpoint between the left and right edges and extends from the cuticle end to the distal end;
  • a coating bound to the top surface of the curved plastic piece and comprising at least one layer of a colored, clear or translucent polymer of cured UV gel wherein the UV gel is comprised of at least unsaturated monomer and/or dimer and/or oligomer.

Embodiment 2. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to embodiment 1 wherein the at least one layer covers the entire top surface of the curved plastic piece.

Embodiment 3. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer is a top coating.

Embodiment 4. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer of polymer is colored with at least one color compound and/or pigment wherein the color compound and/or pigment is included in the UV gel.

Embodiment 5. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer is sectioned into at least two parts wherein the color of one part differs from the color of another part.

Embodiment 6. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments comprising at least two layers wherein at least one layer is colored.

Embodiment 7. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least two layers are colored and the color of one layer differs from the color of another layer.

Embodiment 8. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein at least one layer is colored and at least one layer is clear or translucent.

Embodiment 9. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the cuticle end of the curved plastic piece has a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 0.3 mm, the apex of the curved plastic piece has a thickness of from about 0.45 to 0.6 mm and the distal end of the curved plastic piece has a thickness of from about 0.5 to about 0.8 mm.

Embodiment 10. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.03 mm to about 1 mm.

Embodiment 11. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the thickness of the coating is at the high end of the range along the longitudinal line of the curved plastic piece and is at the low end of the range along the left and right edges of the curved plastic piece.

Embodiment 12. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer as a total average thickness profile of about 0.03 mm to about 0.35 mm with regional variations of thickness ranging from about 0.03 mm to about 1 mm wherein the regions are the cuticle end, the distal end, the edges and the apex.

Embodiment 13. The coated artificial tip for a fingernail according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the at least one layer of UV cured polymer has regional thicknesses of about 0.03 mm to about 0.3 mm at the cuticle end of the coated artificial tip, about 0.03 to about 1 mm at the apex of the coated artificial tip, about 0.03 mm to 0.6 mm at the distal end of the coated artificial tip and about 0.03 mm to about 0.5 mm at the left and right edges of the coated artificial tip.

Embodiment 14. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments further comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive with cover sheet attached to the a portion of the bottom surface of the curved plastic piece.

Embodiment 15. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiment further comprising a globule of pressure sensitive melt composition attached to a portion of the bottom surface of the curved plastic piece.

Embodiment 16. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the bottom surface of the cuticle end meshes with the cuticle surface of a fingernail when the coated artificial tip is placed on a fingernail and downward finger pressure is applied to the top of the coated cuticle end.

Embodiment 17. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the finger pressure applied to the cuticle end of the coated artificial tip is less than the finger pressure applied to a cuticle end of a commercial applique to mesh the surface of the commercial applique cuticle end with the cuticle surface of a fingernail.

Embodiment 18. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the curved plastic piece has a Young's Modulus in a range of about 10 MPa to about 30 MPa, and a peak strength within a range of about 2 MPa to about 10 MPa and the coated artificial tip has a Young's Modulus in a range of about 17 MPa to 32 MPa and a Peak Strength in a range of about 5 MPa to about 13 MPa.

Embodiment 19. The coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the coating is produced from a UV gel composition of monomers and crosslinking multimers.

Embodiment 20. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes (meth)acrylate ester monomers wherein the alcohol residue of the ester is C1-C10 alkyl, C5-C10 cycloalkyl, C7-C10 aryl alkyl or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 21. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes a (meth)acrylate dimer formed with a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate as the dimer termini and a polyol, polyester, polyurethane or urethane-polyol copolymer as the linking chain between the dimer termini.

Embodiment 22. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes an alkyl (meth)acrylate and/or a cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate and/or an arylalkyl (meth)acrylate and a (meth)acrylate dimer comprising a polymeric or oligomeric ethylene oxide terminally esterified with (meth)acrylate.

Embodiment 23. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes an alkyl (meth)acrylate and/or a cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate and/or an arylalkyl (meth)acrylate and an olefinic dimer comprising a(meth)acrylate terminated linear polyurethane.

Embodiment 24. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes an alkyl (meth)acrylate and/or a cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate and/or an arylalkyl (meth)acrylate and an olefinic dimer comprising a (meth)acrylate terminated linear polymer of a block copolymer of polyol units formed from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or tetrahydrofuran and urethane units formed from isophorone diisocyanate or bis(isocyanato phenyl) methane and ethylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol or tri-ethylene glycol.

Embodiment 25. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the UV gel includes an alkyl (meth)acrylate and/or a cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate and/or an arylalkyl (meth)acrylate and an olefinic dimer comprising a (meth)acrylate terminated linear ester polymer of a C4-C6 diacid and a C2-C6 diol.

Embodiment 26. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a (meth)acrylic acid/ester copolymer optionally including from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %, preferably about 2 wt % to about 5 wt % organic solvent.

Embodiment 27. The coated artificial tip according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is a dual coated slip constructed of a silicone or polyolefin sheet having the same overall shape as a portion of the bottom surface the coated artificial tip adjacent to the cuticle end and one side of the slip is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive having a high tack and high adhesion and the other side of the slip is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive having high tack and moderate adhesion; wherein the high tack, high adhesion side of the dual coated slip contacts the bottom surface of the coated artificial tip.

Embodiment 28. Use of the coated artificial tip according to any of the preceding embodiments as a fingernail applique on a fingernail.

Embodiment 29. A nail applique kit comprising members of a group of colored artificial tips according to any of the preceding embodiments.

Embodiment 30. The nail applique kit according to according to any of the preceding embodiments wherein the members of the group of colored artificial tips have the widths selected according to the widths of the thumb and fingers of a hand onto which the colored artificial tips are to be placed.

SUMMARY STATEMENTS

The inventions, examples and results described and claimed herein may have attributes and embodiments include, but not limited to, those set forth or described or referenced in this application.

All patents, publications, scientific articles, web sites and other documents and ministerial references or mentioned herein are indicative of the levels of skill of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and each such referenced document and material is hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if it had been incorporated verbatim and set forth in its entirety herein. The right is reserved to physically incorporate into this specification any and all materials and information from any such patent, publication, scientific article, web site, electronically available information, textbook or other referenced material or document.

The written description of this patent application includes all claims. All claims including all original claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the written description portion of the specification and the right is reserved to physically incorporated into the written description or any other portion of the application any and all such claims. Thus, for example, under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted as allegedly not providing a written description for a claim on the assertion that the precise wording of the claim is not set forth in haec verba in written description portion of the patent.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Thus, from the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific nonlimiting embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the invention. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims and the present invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.