Preformed artificial nails and tips having flared free edge

Abstract

A preformed artificial nail and nail tip for attachment to a natural wherein the shape of a free edge of the artificial nail or nail tip does not conform to the shape of a free edge possible with a typical natural nail. More specifically, the side edges of the free edge portion of the preformed artificial nail or preformed artificial nail tip flare out at least 5° from the side edge line of the artificial nail at the nail bed portion, or the width of the distal edge of the free edge portion is preferably at least 5% wider than the width of the artificial nail or tip at the transition from the nail bed portion to the free edge portion. The preformed artificial nail or nail tip may further flatten slightly at the distal end of the free edge. The preformed artificial nail and preformed artificial nail tip are preferably formed from plastic, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene or polypropylene, preferably by injection molding the same in a known manner similar to currently available preformed artificial nails.

1 . A preformed artificial nail for coupling to a nail bed of a user's natural nail, the artificial nail having a free edge portion and a nail bed portion and a transition therebetween, the nail bed portion being adapted to be disposed along the nail bed of the user's natural nail, the free edge portion having a free edge width, the transition having a transition width, the free edge width being greater than the transition width.  
   
   
       2 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 1  wherein the free edge width is at least 5% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width.  
   
   
       3 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 2  wherein the free edge width is between 5% and 70% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width.  
   
   
       4 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 1  wherein the free edge flares out at least 5° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition.  
   
   
       5 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 4  wherein the free edge flares out between 5° and 45° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition.  
   
   
       6 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 1  wherein the free edge portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail, and the nail bed portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail, the free edge portion arcuate cross-section relatively flatter than the nail bed portion arcuate cross-section.  
   
   
       7 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 1  formed of a plastic material.  
   
   
       8 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 7  comprising at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.  
   
   
       9 . A preformed artificial nail tip for coupling to a user's natural nail, the artificial nail having a free edge portion and a nail bed portion and a transition therebetween, the nail bed portion being adapted to be disposed along the user's natural nail, the free edge portion having a free edge width, the transition having a transition width, the free edge width being greater than the transition width.  
   
   
       10 . The preformed artificial nail tip of  claim 9  wherein the free edge width is at least 5% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width.  
   
   
       11 . The preformed artificial nail tip of  claim 10  wherein the free edge width is between 5% and 70% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width.  
   
   
       12 . The preformed artificial nail tip of  claim 9  wherein the free edge flares out at least 5° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition.  
   
   
       13 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 12  wherein the free edge flares out between 5° and 45° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition.  
   
   
       14 . The preformed artificial nail tip of  claim 9  wherein the free edge portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail, and the nail bed portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail, the free edge portion arcuate cross-section relatively flatter than the nail bed portion arcuate cross-section.  
   
   
       15 . The preformed artificial nail tip of  claim 9  formed of a plastic material.  
   
   
       16 . The preformed artificial nail of  claim 15  comprising at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.  
   
   
       17 . A nail kit comprising a package containing an adhesive and a plurality of at least one of preformed artificial nails or preformed artificial nail tips for coupling to a user's natural nail, the preformed artificial nails having a free edge portion and a nail bed portion and a transition therebetween, the nail bed portion being adapted to be disposed along the nail bed of the user's natural nail, the free edge portion having a free edge width, the transition having a transition width, the free edge width being greater than the transition width, the preformed artificial nail tips having a tip free edge portion and a tip nail bed portion and a tip transition therebetween, the tip nail bed portion being adapted to be disposed along a portion of the user's natural nail, the tip free edge portion having a tip free edge width, the tip transition having a tip transition width, the tip free edge width being greater than the tip transition width.  
   
   
       18 . The kit of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the free edge width is at least 5% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width, or the tip free edge width is at least 5% wider than the tip transition width when taken as a percentage of the tip transition width.  
   
   
       19 . The kit of  claim 18  wherein at least one of the free edge width is between 5% and 70% wider than the transition width when taken as a percentage of the transition width, or the tip free edge width is between 5% and 70% wider than the tip transition width when taken as a percentage of the tip transition width.  
   
   
       20 . The kit of  claim 17  wherein the free edge flares out at least 5° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition of the preformed artificial nails, or the tip free edge flares out at least 5° from a edge line extending from the tip nail bed portion and tip transition of the preformed artificial nail tips.  
   
   
       21 . The kit of  claim 17  wherein the free edge flares out between 5° and 45° from a line extending from the nail bed portion and transition.  
   
   
       22 . The kit of  claim 17  wherein the free edge portion or the tip free edge portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail or artificial nail tip, and the nail bed portion or the tip nail bed portion comprises an arcuate cross-section taken from side edge to side edge of the artificial nail or artificial nail tip, the free edge portion arcuate cross-section being relatively flatter than the nail bed portion arcuate cross-section.  
   
   
       23 . The kit of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the preformed artificial nails or the preformed artificial nail tips are formed of a plastic material.  
   
   
       24 . The kit of  claim 23  wherein at least one of the preformed artificial nails or the preformed artificial nail tips comprise at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.  
   
   
       25 . The nail kit of  claim 17  further comprising at least one of a towelette including a cleaner, a roughening surface, and a stick.