Device and method for improving the visibility of hand signals

Abstract

A device for covering a portion of a finger of a hand is provided. A pad that is sized and shaped to be positioned on a fingernail of the finger is releasably affixable to the fingernail. An adhesive applied to the lower surface of the pad has sufficient strength to keep the pad affixed to the fingernail when the pad is applied to the fingernail until the pad is manually removed from the fingernail. The upper surface of the pad is reflective such that the visibility of hand signals given while the pad is affixed to the fingernail is improved relative to hand signals given while the pad is not affixed to the finger nail.

1 . A device for covering a portion of a finger of a hand comprising:
 a pad releasably affixable to a fingernail of the finger, the pad is sized and shaped to be positioned on the fingernail of the finger;   an adhesive applied to a lower surface of the pad, the adhesive having sufficient strength such that, when the pad is applied to the fingernail, the adhesive keeps the pad affixed to the fingernail until the pad is manually removed from the fingernail; and   wherein an upper surface of the pad is reflective such that visibility of hand signals given while the pad is affixed to the fingernail is improved relative to hand signals given while the pad is not affixed to the fingernail.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the pad is formed of a moisture-resistant material that repels moisture while the pad is affixed to the fingernail. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the moisture-resistant material is a vinyl material. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the pad comprises a planar body bounded by a straight top edge, an arcuate bottom edge, an arcuate left edge, and an arcuate right edge. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein:
 the pad is sized to be positioned only on the fingernail of the finger; 
 the top edge has a length of around 0.250 inches; 
 the bottom edge has an arc length of around 0.279 inches; 
 the left edge has an arc length of around 0.158 inches; and 
 the right edge has an arc length of around 0.158 inches. 
 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein:
 the bottom edge conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.333 inches; 
 the left edge conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.197 inches; and 
 the right edge conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.197 inches. 
 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the pad is colored white such that a visual contrast between the pad and an area surrounding the pad is provided. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a transfer sheet that the pad is releasably affixed to wherein the transfer sheet supports the pad until the pad is manually removed from the transfer sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein:
 a plurality of pads are releasably affixed to the transfer sheet and arranged on the transfer sheet in one or more rows; and 
 individual rows include five pads respectively corresponding to five fingers of the hand. 
 
     
     
         11 . A device for covering a portion of a finger of a hand comprising:
 a pad releasably affixable to a fingernail of the finger, the pad sized to be positioned only on the fingernail of the finger;   a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive applied to a lower surface of the pad, the adhesive having sufficient strength such that, when the pad is applied to the fingernail, the adhesive keeps the pad affixed to the fingernail until the pad is manually removed from the fingernail;   wherein an upper surface of the pad is reflective such that visibility of hand signals given while the pad is affixed to the fingernail is improved relative to hand signals given while the pad is not affixed to the fingernail;   wherein the pad is formed of a white-colored, moisture-resistant vinyl material that repels moisture while the pad is affixed to the fingernail and that provides a visual contrast between the pad and an area surrounding the pad; and   wherein the pad includes a planar body bounded by a straight top edge having a length of around 0.250 inches, an arcuate bottom edge having an arc length of around 0.279 inches, an arcuate left edge having an arc length of around 0.158 inches, and an arcuate right edge having an arc length of around 0.158 inches.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a transfer sheet a plurality of pads are releasably affixed to, the transfer sheet supports the plurality of pads until individual pads of the plurality of pads are manually removed from the transfer sheet; 
 wherein the plurality of pads are arranged on the transfer sheet in one or more rows; and 
 wherein individual rows include five pads respectively corresponding to five fingers of the hand. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method for improving the visibility of hand signals comprising:
 positioning a device for covering a portion of a finger of a hand over a fingernail of the finger, the device including a pad sized and shaped to be positioned on the fingernail;   orienting the pad over the fingernail such that a reflective upper surface of the pad is presented in a direction away from a top side of the fingernail;   lowering the pad onto the fingernail such that an adhesive applied to a lower surface of the pad bonds with the top side of the fingernail and affixes the pad to the fingernail, the adhesive having a sufficient strength to keep the pad affixed to the fingernail until the pad is manually removed from the fingernail; and   displaying the upper surface of the pad when giving hand signals such that visibility of the hand signals given while the pad is affixed to the fingernail is improved relative to hand signals given while the pad is not affixed to the fingernail.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising removing the pad from a transfer sheet that the pad is releasably affixed to wherein the transfer sheet supports the pad until the pad is manually removed from the transfer sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 the pad is formed of a moisture-resistant vinyl material that repels moisture while the pad is affixed to the fingernail; and 
 the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising removing the pad from the fingernail by manually peeling back one of the top edge, the bottom edge, the left edge, or the right edge such that the adhesive on the lower surface of the pad unbonds from the fingernail. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the pad comprises a planar body bounded by a straight top edge, an arcuate bottom edge, an arcuate left edge, and an arcuate right edge. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein:
 the pad is sized to be positioned only on the fingernail of the finger; 
 the top edge has a length of around 0.250 inches; 
 the bottom edge has an arc length of around 0.279 inches and conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.333 inches; 
 the left edge has an arc length of around 0.158 inches and conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.197 inches; and 
 the right edge has an arc length of around 0.158 inches and conforms to a circular arc of a circle having a radius of around 0.197 inches. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the hand signals are given by a baseball catcher to a baseball pitcher while the catcher calls a baseball game. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising affixing a pad to each respective fingernail of the fingers of the hand.