US3070804A

US3070804A - Fingernail protector

Info

Publication number: US3070804A
Application number: US87130A
Authority: US
Inventors: Salvatore C Parrilla
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-02-06
Filing date: 1961-02-06
Publication date: 1963-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-01

Description

Jan. 1,--. 1963 s. c. PARRILLA 3,070,804

FINGERNAIL PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 6, 1961 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,0793% Patented Jan. 1, 1963 3,070,304 FINGERNAEL PROTECTOR Salvatore C. Parrilla, 318 Leader Bldg, Cleveland 14, Ohio Filed Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,130 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-21) This invention rciates to improvements in a fingernail protector.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fingernail protector which is cheap to construct, which is easy to slip upon the finger, and which has a built in protecting strip adapted to engage between an extending end of fingernail and the finger itself so as to positively position the protector and to give additional support to the fingernail.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features thereof will be summarized in the claim.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved fingernail protector;

PEG. 2 is a plan view of the fingernail protector of FIG. 1 taken from the side that lies underneath the finger of the wearer;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken from the side which would lie along the back of a human finger;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the device; while FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3 and showing a modification.

My invention comprises a unitary fingernail protector adapted to be cheaply formed either from a single piece of resilient sheet metal or preferably to be molded from a suitable plastic such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene and the like.

My device comprises a combined back and outer end portion indicated generally at with the outer end portion designated lfirr. The back has two wing portions 11 curving away from it in opposite directions so as to extend around a finger and to clamp the device upon such a finger. It will be readily understood that the unstressed position of these wing portions as shown in the drawings encompasses a circle slightly less than the largest size finger upon which it is intended to be clamped so that the Wing portions are slightly expanded when it is clamped upon a finger. A novel nail supporting strip 12 is positioned between the wing portions 11 and the outer end We of the protector. This strip, as shown, is unitary with the back and end portion 10 and extends from side to side of the outer end portion generally parallel thereto as clearly seen in FIG. 4 and in a position to lie between the outer end of an extending fingernail and the portion of the finger directly beneath it.

From an examination of FIG. 4, it is easily seen that if the device were made of metal, a piece of tubular material having approximately the diameter shown by the parts 10 and 1.1 in FIG. 4 could be cut away to provide the wing portions 11 and the supporting strip 12 could be cut out of the tubular material and bent toward the opposite side until it arrived at the position shown in MG. 4. The construction of the device out of moldable plastic material needs no description here as such art is well known.

The modification of FIG. 5 is in all respects like the first described form except that a window 13 extends through the back 10 and outer end portion 10a in position to register with the nail of a user when the protector is in place so that a nail may be examined or polish applied thereto.

it is thus seen that I have contrived a fingernail protector which, when applied to the finger of a wearer while nail polish is drying or at any time when the fingernail needs protection, is held in position partly by the wing portions 11 and partly by the positive engagement of the support strip 12 between the extending end of the fingernail and the adjacent portion of the finger which lends additional support to the fingernail and also positively prevents the device from being pushed too far down on the finger itself.

What is claimed is:

A fingernail protector adapted to underlie and support the distal portion of a long fingernail of a human finger in which the nail extends relatively far beyond the end of the finger, said protector comprising a unitary structure of stilt resilient material having a combined back and outer end portion arcuate in section and adapted to overlie the fingernail on a human finger, said back having two wing portions at one end and an outer distal portion at the other end, said wing portions being located on the underside of the back and curving away from said back in opposite directions in position to clamp around said finger, a nail supporting strip on the underside of the back between said wing portions and said outer end, said strip being unitary with and extending on the underside of the back from one side to the other side thereof, said strip having a central portion arcuate and substantially uniformly spaced from said outer end portion and two end portions curved toward and integrally connected with said back, the central portion of said strip positioned to contact and support the underside of the distal portion of the nail that extends beyond the finger, the edge of the strip adjacent the wing portions abutting the end of the finger to thereby help position said protector thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,807 Sommers Oct. 6, 1942 2,409,101 Brittingham Oct. 8, 1946 2,458,709 Kayer Jan. 11, 1949 2,467,613 Davis Apr. 19, 1949 2,487,101 Colby et a1. Nov. 8, 1949