Mechanically coupled nail tip

Abstract

The mechanically coupled nail tip includes a base and a tip. The base is attached to the natural nail by an adhesive, and the tip is attached to the base by mechanical coupling. Since the tip is held mechanically and not by an adhesive, the tip can be easily snapped on and off from the base.

1 . An artificial nail system, comprising:
 a base that comprises a base top side, a base bottom side, and one or more first mechanical features configured to receive one or more corresponding second mechanical features on a tip, wherein:
 the base bottom side is configured to be attached to a natural nail and the tip, the tip comprising a tip top side, a tip bottom side, and the one or more corresponding second mechanical features, wherein:
 the one or more second mechanical features of the tip cooperate with the one or more first mechanical features of the base to fit together to couple the tip onto the base such that the tip bottom side becomes attached to the base top side so that there is no relative movement between the base and the tip after attachment, and 
 upon attachment to the base, the tip completely covers the base such that the base is no longer visible. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The artificial nail system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features and the one or more second mechanical features each have a width that is less than the width of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The artificial nail system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features are positioned on the base top side, and the one or more second mechanical features are positioned on the tip bottom side. 
     
     
         4 . The artificial nail system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features and the one or more second mechanical features are positioned offset from a center longitudinal axis of the artificial nail system. 
     
     
         5 . The artificial nail system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features comprise base tracks. 
     
     
         6 . The artificial nail system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more second mechanical features comprise tip tracks. 
     
     
         7 . The artificial nail system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features of the base slides into the one or more second mechanical features of the tip. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The artificial nail system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features and the one or more second mechanical features are positioned along a center longitudinal axis of the artificial nail system. 
     
     
         13 . The artificial nail system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features comprise one or more ridges. 
     
     
         14 . The artificial nail system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more ridges comprise a protrusion and a plateau. 
     
     
         15 . The artificial nail system of  claim 14 , wherein the protrusion is an upward protrusion that extends upward from the base top side toward the tip bottom side. 
     
     
         16 . The artificial nail system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more second mechanical features comprise one or more grooves on the tip bottom side configured to snap onto the upward protrusion to secure the tip to the base. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The artificial nail system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more second mechanical features snap onto the one or more first mechanical features to attach together. 
     
     
         20 . The artificial nail system of  claim 1 , wherein the base bottom side is configured to receive an adhesive that is applied to attach the base bottom side to the natural nail, wherein the adhesive is a gel sticker. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of applying an artificial nail system, comprising:
 attaching a base to a natural nail, wherein the base comprises one or more first mechanical features and has a base top side and a base bottom side, and wherein the base bottom side contacts the natural nail; and   attaching a tip to the base, wherein the tip comprises one or more second mechanical features and has a tip top side and a tip bottom side, wherein the one or more second mechanical features of the tip cooperate with the one or more first mechanical features of the base to couple the tip onto the base such that the tip bottom side contacts the base bottom side so that there is no relative movement between the base and the tip after attachment, and wherein upon attachment to the base, the tip completely covers the base such that the base is no longer visible.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more second mechanical features snap onto the one or more first mechanical features to attach together. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features comprise base tracks on the base top side, and the one or more second mechanical features comprise tip tracks on the tip bottom side. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the attaching the tip to the base comprises coupling one of the one or more edges of the base to one of the one of more tracks of the tip bottom side. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more first mechanical features comprise one or more ridges, and the one or more second mechanical features comprise one or more grooves. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the base top side comprises a base recess and the tip bottom side comprises a tip protrusion, wherein the tip protrusion has the same volume as the space in the base recess, wherein the attaching the tip to the base further comprises snapping the tip protrusion into the base recess. 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . (canceled)