NAIL CARE METHOD, A NAIL CARE PRODUCT, AND A NAIL CARE KIT

Abstract

There is provided a nail care method for treating the surface of a fingernail or a toenail to produce a nail having a smooth and desirably glossy appearance while minimizing the application of non-natural materials to the nail surface. Also, a nail care station is provided that is operable to perform the method of the present invention.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Nail polish removal receptacles are known which support or suspend an insert structure to aid in the removal of hardened nail polish from fingernails after a finger has been immersed in nail polish remover contained within the receptacle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,195 to Robert W Thomas Jr discloses a nail polish remover devices in which a receptacle is provided with a sponge or sponge-like absorbent member insert. The sponge member insert is formed with an aperture forming a finger hole into which the finger is placed. The absorbent sponge absorbs nail polish remover and upon insertion of the finger into the sponge aperture, the polished fingernail comes into contact with the sponge and nail polish remover solution to remove the polish from the nail. The solution and polish fragments are wiped from the inserted fingernail by the sponge as the fingernail is removed from the receptacle jar.

[0002] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,672 to Alvin M Walker et al discloses a nail polish remover receptacle containing a plurality of downwardly spaced apart free-floating legs with an inwardly curved end portion. The legs have bristles or brush like elements secured thereto which extend inward. When a person inserts a finger into the device, the finger will contact the bristles and push the legs outward in such a manner that the nail polish remover liquid on the bristles will remove the nail polish from the fingernails.

[0003] Small rotary manicuring units have also been commercially offered and such motorized manicuring units often have small, high speed motors in order to achieve a desired compactness. Since motor torque is a function of the size of the motor and, especially, since the surface speed of a rotating unit is directly related to the tool diameter, for a given speed, the tools or abrasive bits of such manicuring units typically have been limited in diameter to less than one-half inch. These manicuring units have not been well accepted by consumers for several reasons. The very high speeds and the sensible torque reaction have made it quite difficult for an untrained individual to control such units. Also, the tendency is for the abrasive bit to recoil or to run itself away from the nail. This made it almost necessary to provide additional guidance for the controlling hand, such as by the use of a second hand as an additional guiding means. White this is feasible when the units are used by a second person, it is clearly unsuitable when it is desired to use the unit for self-manicure operations. These high-speed, small-diameter bits also involve the danger or tendency to groove or to "scallop" the nail if they are presented against the nail with too much force or for too long a time. Therefore, any distraction or inattention frequently would result in the formation of a small-diameter arc-shaped deformation of the nail, in contrast to the desired sculpturing being attempted.

[0004] Generally, seeking assistance from powered devices in the care of fingernails and toenails has not heretofore been an easy task, due to the fact that natural or artificial fingernails and toenails are typically curved and have one of a wide range of overall shapes. Depending upon the person, the nail surfaces can be relatively larger or smaller, uneven or smoother, or with or without ridges. These variations in nail geometries and surface topographies present a challenge for designing an apparatus that can effectively handle these variations while nonetheless offering a more appealing alternative than individual manual sanding, buffing, or otherwise altering differently shaped nail surfaces.

[0005] An individual manual operation by a person to alter the surface of a natural or artificial fingernail or toenail typically involves cyclically moving an abrasive surface of a nail file or the like back and forth across the surface of the nail. A predetermined degree of pressure must be applied to ensure that the abrasive surface of the nail file or the like adequately reduces the contacted nail surface. The contact area engaged by the abrasive surface of the nail file or the like varies as a function of the nail geometry and surface topography including the overall curvature of the nail surface, the degree of pressure applied against the nail surface, and the speed and the uniformity of the stroke force of the abrasive surface of the nail file or the like on the nail surface. While nail care implements such as metallic nail files or emery boards are widely used, the abrasive surfaces of such implements engage only a small portion of a curved nail surface during the passage of the abrasive surface along the nail in a given stroke. These implements operate tangentially to the curved nail surface and thus call for sufficient dexterity by the person or the manicurist to reliably move the abrasive surface of the implement in a satisfactory manner over the entirety of the nail surface. Moreover, such implements may fail to adequately work or reduce the nail surface in an even manner, leaving the nail surface with unwanted depressions and projections.

[0006] In spite of the earlier nail care and manicuring approaches that have been proposed, those who have manicured hands and fingernails, especially women, know all too well of the amount of time and effort spent in maintaining a well-manicured appearance. Even those who are not as scrupulous with respect to fingernail appearance are well advised to practice a normal routine of cleaning, trimming, filing, buffing and polishing the nails. The act of cleaning, filing, buffing and polishing one's nails consumes a great deal of time and effort. The use of a conventional nail files and other manual grooming utensils is tedious, requiring the user to apply a consistent filing force on the nail in an attempt to achieve a smooth, uniform appearance. Quite often, however, the desired result is difficult to achieve due to the tendency of the user to apply the file at varying pressures and speeds. Accordingly, there is a need for a better approach via which manicured fingernails or toenails can be obtained in a quick and convenient manner and that can be reliably repeated to achieve the same desired appearance and health promoting benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide a nail care method and, more particularly, a nail care method for treating the surface of a fingernail or a toenail to produce a nail having a smooth and desirably glossy appearance while minimizing the application of non-natural materials to the nail surface.

[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a nail care station operable to perform the method of the present invention.

[0009] In connection with further details of the steps of the nail care method of the present invention, the method comprises a surface engaging step, a nail contact step, and a buffing or polishing step.

[0010] In connection with further details of the step of engaging a surface of a nail, this step includes engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail.

[0011] In connection with further details of the step of contacting the nail surface, this step includes contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the moving profile alone, the surface of the nail alone, or onto both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile.

[0012] In connection with further details of the step of buffing or polishing the nail surface, this step includes bringing the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, into buffing contact with a moving profile in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.

[0013] According to optional features of the method of the present invention, the method may further include the step of engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a greater coarseness than the moving profile with which the surface of the nail is contacted during the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail. Further in this regard, the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location can optionally include engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having pumice and, additionally, the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a cotton material.

[0014] Other aspects, embodiments and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrate the principles of the invention by way of example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the invention itself, will be more fully understood from the following description of various embodiments when read together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a right side top perspective view of a nail care station that is operable to implement the nail care method of the present invention:

[0017] FIG. 2 is a right side top perspective view, in partial section, of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1 and showing some of the components of the nail care station within its housing;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a left side top perspective view of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1; and

[0023] FIG. 8 is a right side top perspective view, in partial section, of the nail care station shown in FIG. 1 and showing the hand of a user of the nail care station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The inventive method for caring for a nail will be described with reference to one possible sequence of steps that may be performed to carry out the nail care method of the present invention, it being understood that other step sequences are acceptable as well. To facilitate an understanding of the inventive method for caring for a nail, reference is also had to an exemplary nail care station that is operable to implement the nail care method and this exemplary nail care station is shown FIGS. 1-7. Additionally, reference is also had to FIG. 8, which is a perspective view of the exemplary nail care station and also showing the hand of a user of the nail care station.

[0025] The inventive method for caring for a nail comprises a number of steps and the method can be varied to include additional steps, as desired by the user, who may be a person performing the method to take care of his or her own nails or a manicurist taking care of the nails of another person. An overall description will first be provided herein of the exemplary nail care station, hereinafter generally designated as the exemplary nail care station 210, so that one example of the performance of the inventive method for caring for a nail via the exemplary nail care station 210 can then be understood.

[0026] The nail care station 210 includes a housing 212 that is formed with suitable mounting structures for mounting and supporting a number of components of the nail care station 210 within the housing and extending from the housing. A dual output electric motor 214 is mounted within the housing 212, as seen in FIG. 2, and includes a left hand mounting mandrel 216 and a right hand mounting mandrel 218, both of which are coaxial with one another and are preferably formed as the respective left hand and right hand axial end portions of a single cylindrical rod. The electric motor 214 includes a stator and rotor assembly in which the single cylindrical rod is centrally located and the stator and rotor assembly are operable according to the basic principles of stator and rotor operations to effect rotation of the single cylindrical rod in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

[0027] A finish step wheel 220 is fixedly secured to the free end of the left hand mounting mandrel 216 for rotation therewith and a surface reduction wheel 222 is fixedly secured to the free end of the right hand mounting mandrel 218 for rotation therewith. The nail care station 210 is preferably configured so that the finish step wheel 220 and the surface reduction wheel 222 can each be conveniently removed from their respective mounted dispositions of the left hand mounting mandrel 216 and the right hand mounting mandrel 213 so that each wheel can be cleaned, refurbished, or dried or stored in a storage location. Additionally, convenient removal of the finish step wheel 220 and the surface reduction wheel 222 permits alternate wheels to be mounted on the let hand mounting mandrel 216 or the right hand mounting mandrel 218.

[0028] As seen in FIG. 7, a cord 224 having a three prong wall plug extends through an access port in the housing 212 and has an end lead 226 that is connected to a switch control 228. A control dial 230 is rotatably mounted to the housing 212 and is electrically connected via an electrical lead 232 to the switch control 228. The wall plug of the cord 224 can be plugged Into a wall outlet (not shown) to thereby provide alternating electrical current to the electric motor 214 via the switch control 228, which is responsive to various settings of the control dial 230 to thereby control the supply of electrical current to the electric motor 214 and thus control the rate of rotation (revolutions per minute). The switch control 228 is also responsive to the control dial 230 to control the direction of rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the left hand mounting mandrel 216 and the right hand mounting mandrel 213. The finish step wheel 220 and the surface reduction wheel 222 of the nail care station 210 are selectively brought into rotating contact with the nails of a user in accordance with the inventive method for caring for a nail, as will now be described in more detail.

[0029] The inventive method for caring for a nail can be performed by a user to care for fingernails and toenails and the method has utility for both natural nails and artificial nails. For the purposes of illustration, the inventive method for caring for a nail will be described in greater detail with reference to an application of the method to treat the natural fingernails NA-10, NA-12, etc. of a user. The inventive method for caring for a nail, hereinafter generally designated as the nail care method 110, comprises a surface engaging step 112 that involves engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail. With reference to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the nail care station 210 is operable to perform this step of the nail care method 110 in that the surface reduction wheel 222 of the nail care station 210 operates as a moving profile that engages a surface of the nail NA-10 at an engagement location EN-LOC (shown in broken lines in FIG. 8) in a manner in which the surface of the nail NA-10 and the surface reduction wheel 222 move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane CO-PL that is perpendicular to an alignment plane AL-PL intersecting the nail NA-10 and the surface reduction wheel 222 and passing through the engagement location EN-LOC. The engagement of the surface of the nail NA-10 and the surface reduction wheel 222 effects a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail.

[0030] The surface reduction wheel 222 of the nail care station 210 is preferably configured with a suitable abrading material as its outer radial periphery and this abrading material should advantageously traverse the nail NA-10 to effect an efficient but controllable reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail. An example of a suitable abrading material is pumice, which may be disposed in a relatively dry condition or wetted to be in a relatively moist condition. Other examples of suitable abrasive materials are kaolin, finely divided clay, diatomaceous earth, calcium carbonate, talc, chromium oxide, iron oxide and the like.

[0031] Following the engagement of the surface of the nail NA-10 with the surface reduction wheel 222 at the engagement location EN-LOC, another step of the nail care method 110 is performed that comprises contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the moving profile alone, the surface of the nail alone, or onto both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile. With continuing reference to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the nail care station 210 is operable to perform this step of the nail care method 110 in that the finish step wheel 220 of the nail care station 210 operates as a moving profile that engages a surface of the nail NA-10 in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail. The additive material can be, for example, a high polish wax material applied to the nail NA-10 before the nail is moved into engagement with the finish step wheel 220.

[0032] After the step of the nail care method 110 via which the surface of the nail NA-10 has been contacted by the finish step wheel 220 of the nail care station 210, another step of the nail care method 110 is performed that comprises bringing the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, into buffing contact with a moving profile in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail. To this end, the surface reduction wheel 222 is now preferably configured with a dry cotton material as its outer radial periphery and this dry cotton material advantageously brushes along the nail NA-10 to effect an efficient but controllable buffing action on the surface of the nail NA-10. In this connection, the buffing action may operate to enhance or bring out the polish properties of the additive material on or in the nail--i.e., the light reflectivity of the additive material may be increased by the buffing action. The buffing action can beneficially force the additive material into the depressions, swales, valleys between ridges, and other lower spots on the surface of the nail NA-10. The nail NA-10 is thus left with a desirable smooth and manicured appearance.

[0033] As noted, the nail care method 110 can include particular refinements that further contribute to the positive impact of the method. In this regard, in connection with the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location, the nail care method 110 can optionally include engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a greater coarseness than the moving profile with which the surface of the nail is contacted during the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail. Further in this regard, the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location can optionally include engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having pumice and, additionally, the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a cotton material. Still further in this regard, the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail can optionally include disposing a polishing material onto the moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile. In all of these optional approaches, the additive material can be a wax.

[0034] The additive material can include wax materials whose compositions may be of animal, vegetable, mineral, or synthetic origin or type. Wax in its dispersed form facilitates application of the dispersion or emulsion to a surface to obtain a uniform film having good gloss and water resistance. As examples of some useful waxes, there may be mentioned mineral and paraffin waxes, e.g., microcrystalline and oxidized paraffins, ozocerite and montan wax; animal waxes such as beeswax or whale wax: synthetic waxes such as high boiling aliphatic esters; and vegetables waxes such as candellila. cuticury, ceresin, palm, and carnauba.

[0035] The housing 212 of the nail care station 210 may be comprised of a rigid plastic or polymeric material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylics, cellulosics, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymers, urethanes, thermoplastic resins, thermo-plastic elastomers (TPE), acetal resins, polyamides, polycarbonates and polyesters. While many other materials may be used alone or in combination with the aforementioned materials and/or other materials without departing from the scope of the present invention, preferably the material is relatively inexpensive and durable material, easy to use in manufacturing operations, and yielding an aesthetically acceptable product. The material may further include additives to provide desired properties such as desired colors and structural characteristics. Also, the nail care station 210 may be produced using any suitable manufacturing techniques known in the art for the chosen material, such as, for example, injection, compression, structural foam, blow, or transfer molding, vacuum forming, or casting. Preferably the manufacturing technique permits the nail care station 210 to be manufactured in a mass production manner at relatively low cost per unit, and results in an aesthetically acceptable product with a consistent acceptable quality.

[0036] The magnitude to which the surface of the nail is reduced is a function of the rate of rotation of the respective finish step wheel or surface reduction wheel, the material properties of the respective abrasive material on the outer periphery of the wheel such as, e.g., the hardness, the grit particle size, and the cushioning, and the infeed velocity of the nail into the engagement location EN-LOC. With regard to the buffing or polishing of the nail surface, this operation is a function of the rate of rotation of the respective finish step wheel or surface reduction wheel, the dryness or wetness of the outer periphery of the wheel, the material properties of the cotton or other natural material or synthetic material on the outer periphery of the wheel, and the pressure of the wheel on the nail surface. In both a surface reduction operation and a buffing or polishing operation, a relatively slower rate of rotation, a relatively lower pressure of the wheel on the nail surface, and a relatively dryer material will typically minimize or decrease the rate at which material is abraded from the nail surface.

[0037] With respect to controlling the speed of the wheels rotated by the electric motor 214, the control dial 230 can be configured to linearly increase the rate of rotation of the finish step wheel or the surface reduction wheel 222 as the control dial 230 is rotated in a clockwise direction. With further regard to controlling the speed of the wheels rotated by the electric motor 214, known speed reduction or multiplication arrangements can be provided that reduce or increase the rotational speed and the torque output of the electric motor 214. Additionally, a debris shield can be mounted adjacent the wheels to constrain the degree to which abraded material is cast away from the nail care station 210. As desired, ergonomic rest structures such as, for example, a wrist rest, can be provided on which a user may rest his or her wrist while a nail is in contact or engagement with a wheel. Additionally, the nail care station 210 can be configured to be supported in a stable manner on a countertop or a table surface. To this end, the nail care station 210 can be provided with a plurality of suction cup feet, as seen in FIG. 7, that can be releasably secured to a flat surface such as a countertop or a table surface.

[0038] The nail care method of the present invention should be appealing to both commercial nail treatment businesses and individual home use consumers for the reasons that the method permits a labor saving use of a powered nail care apparatus and the method produces a desirable high-gloss look of the fingernails or toenails that, if desired, can be achieved using only natural substances.

[0039] The present invention also extends to an apparatus and consumable products kit that is comprised of a combination of a nail care device, such as, for example, the nail care station 210, and an additive material, such as, for example, a polish stick, with both the nail care device and the additive material being suitable for executing the method of the present invention. As desired, such an apparatus and consumable products kit can include an illustrated instruction sheet for guiding a user in the deployment of the kit components to perform the method of the present invention.

[0040] The teachings of this application are not to be construed as being limited to any particular apparatus, apparatus and consumable products kit, or any method of configuring a apparatus or an apparatus and consumable products kit. While various embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for treating a nail, the method comprising: engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail; following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the moving profile at the engagement location, contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile; and thereafter bringing the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, into buffing contact with a moving profile in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location includes engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a greater coarseness than the moving profile with which the surface of the nail is contacted during the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location includes engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having pumice and the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a cotton material.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes disposing a polishing material onto the moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive material is a wax material.

6. A nail care station comprising: a surface reducing moving profile having an abrasive portion on its periphery; a polish moving profile having a polish promoting surface portion on its periphery; and a motive power source for moving the surface reducing moving profile in a manner in which the abrasive portion on the periphery of the surface reducing moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location and operable to move the polish moving profile in a manner in which the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location, the motive power source (a) operating to bring the surface reducing moving profile in engagement with a surface of a nail of a user at the engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the surface reducing moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail, (b), operating bring the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile into contact with the nail, following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the surface reducing moving profile, in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the polish moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the polish moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the polish moving profile, and (c) operating to bring a moving profile into buffing contact with the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.

7. The nail care station according to claim 8, wherein the motive power source includes a pair of rotatable mandrels, each mandrel for mounting at least one of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile.

8. The nail care station according to claim 7, wherein each of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile includes an annular outer periphery and the motive power source is operable to rotate each mandrel so that the annular outer periphery of each of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile rotates through the engagement location.

9. The nail care station according to claim 8, wherein the motive power source includes a cylindrical rod having a pair of axial ends and the pair of rotatable mandrels are each mounted to a respective axial end of the cylindrical rod.

10. The nail care station according to claim 9, wherein the motive power source is an electric motor.

11. An apparatus and consumable products kit comprising: a consumable polish base material that can be applied to a nail of a user to promote a polished appearance of the nail; and a nail care station including; a surface reducing moving profile having an abrasive portion on its periphery; a polish moving profile having a polish promoting surface portion on its periphery; and a motive power source for moving the surface reducing moving profile in a manner in which the abrasive portion on the periphery of the surface reducing moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location and operable to move the polish moving profile in a manner in which the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location, the motive power source (a) operating to bring the surface reducing moving profile in a engagement with a surface of a nail of a user at the engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the surface reducing moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail, (b), operating to bring the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile into contact with the nail, following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the surface reducing moving profile, in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the polish moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the polish moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the polish moving profile, and (c) operating to bring a moving profile into buffing contact with the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.

Images