System for cutting artificial nail tips and for decorating the same or existing nails using automated cutting processes
AssigneeGerber Scientific Products, Inc.
InventorsDaniel J. Sullivan, Janine R. Sadoski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system uses information taken from a sensing device sensing the dimensions of an existing fingernail structure and inputs this sensed information into a controller in machine usable form. The data is used by the controller to drive a variety of peripheral devices to cut a desired nail pattern in a material so that at least a part of the material snugly fits over the existing nail structure. The system is further capable of cutting a sheet of decorative material to the shape of a natural nail or one that is artificially placed on a nail. The decorative sheet may be formed of vinyl or mylar and has an adhesive layer which binds it to the involved nail.
Claims32
A system for automatically cutting a material to be applied to an existing fingernail structure having a surface such that at least a portion of the material when cut is given a desired shape to fit the contour of at least a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface, said system comprising:
- a sensing means for sensing the shape of an existing fingernail structure surface onto which surface cut material is to be applied, said sensing means including a first means for determining the outline of the shape of the existing fingernail structure surface and a second means for determining the arcuate configuration of the existing fingernail structure surface;
- means for converting data derived from said sensing means into machine usable data;
- means for shaping said material by edge cutting it using said machine usable data;
- and
- control means for receiving said machine usable data and using said data to drive said cutting means to effect cutting of the material along at least one portion of the material to give said at least one portion of the material a desired shape to fit the contour of a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface as determined by information provided by said sensing means.
A system for automatically cutting an artificial fingernail blank to be applied to an existing natural fingernail surface such that the blank when cut has a desired shape to fit the specific dimensions of the existing natural fingernail surface and take on a desired sculpted shape, said system comprising:
- a sensing means for sensing the shape of an existing fingernail surface onto which a blank is to be applied, said sensing means including a first means for determining the shape of the existing fingernail surface and a second means for determining the arcuate configuration of the existing natural fingernail surface;
- means for converting data derived from said sensing means into machine usable data;
- means for selecting a desired sculpted shape for one portion of said material to be applied to said existing fingernail surface, which one portion corresponding to the part of the material not overlaying the natural fingernail;
- means for shaping said blank by cutting it using said machine usable data;
- control means for receiving said machine usable data and using said data to drive a cutting tool to effect cutting of the blank along said one portion to give said one portion a desired shape as determined by information provided by said selecting means and to effect cutting of the blank along another portion corresponding to the sensed shape of the natural fingernail such that it is continuous with the one portion to custom fit the blank onto the existing fingernail surface.
A system for creating a decorative surface on a fingernail structure by applying a decorative sheet to the surface of the fingernail structure, said system comprising:
- means for sensing the shape of an existing fingernail structure in three dimensions;
- means for converting information sensed by said sensing means into machine usable data;
- control means for using said data defining the shape of said fingernail structure in three dimensions and mapping a two dimensional surface area based on said data;
- a cutting machine having means for receiving a sheet of decorative material;
- and
- means for driving said cutting machine with said control means using said data representing said mapped area to cut closed shapes into the decorative sheet material, each of which closed shapes having a given area relating to the surface area of the fingernail structure to be covered in response to the data sensed by the sensing means.
A system for automatically cutting a material to be applied to an existing fingernail structure having a surface such that at least a portion of the material when cut is given a desired shape to fit the contour of at least a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface, said system comprising:
- a sensing means for sensing the shape of an existing fingernail structure surface onto which surface cut material is to be applied, said sensing means including a first means for determining the outline of the shape of the existing fingernail structure surface and a second means for determining the arcuate configuration of the existing fingernail structure surface;
- means for converting data derived from said sensing means into machine usable data;
- means for shaping said material by cutting it using said machine usable data;
- control means for receiving said machine usable data and using said data to drive said cutting means to effect cutting of the material along at least one portion of the material to give said at least one portion of the material a desired shape to fit the contour of a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface as determined by information provided by said sensing means;
- said existing fingernail structure being a natural fingernail of a person and said material is an artificial fingernail blank, said at least one portion of said material corresponds to the portion of the material which will fit the shape of the cuticle and overlie the natural fingernail, said control means further including means for selecting a desired sculpted shape for another portion of said material to be applied to said existing fingernail surface, which another portion corresponding to the part of the material not overlaying the natural fingernail.
A system for automatically cutting a material to be applied to an existing fingernail structure having a surface such that at least a portion of the material when cut is given a desired shape to fit the contour of at least a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface, said system comprising:
- a sensing means for sensing the shape of an existing fingernail structure surface onto which surface cut material is to be applied, said sensing means including a first means for determining the outline of the shape of the existing fingernail structure surface and a second means for determining the arcuate configuration of the existing fingernail structure surface;
- means for converting data derived from said sensing means into machine usable data;
- means for shaping said material by cutting it using said machine usable data;
- control means for receiving said machine usable data and using said data to drive said shaping means to effect cutting of the material along at least one portion of the material to give said at least one portion of the material a desired shape to fit the contour of a corresponding portion of the fingernail surface as determined by information provided by said sensing means;
- said material is a sheet of decorative material and said system further includes a web cutter, and said at least one portion of said material corresponds at least to the portion of the material which fits the shape of the cuticle of the existing fingernail structure, said control means further including means for selecting a desired shape for another portion of said material to be applied to said existing fingernail surface, said control means including means for utilizing said data obtained by said sensing means to cut a two-dimensional shape into a web corresponding in area to at least the surface of the existing fingernail structure to be covered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.