DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectioned view for showing an artificial nail-decorative stone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] In case that an acrylic resin-based molded material is used for nail-decorative stones and the material is used, as it is, in the state that aluminum foil is deposited on the lower side thereof, ill effects are causes that the acrylic resin is dissolved by the acetone solvent contained in manicure, top coat, and the like and the colors of the acrylic resin-based stones fade out. Accordingly, the present invention, before depositing the aluminum foil, coats a transparent UV-curing paint 12 on the entire artificial stones, applies the ultraviolet light to the stones for curing the paint, and deposits the aluminum foil on the cured stones, to thereby manufacture the desired stones. A modified acrylic paint is preferably used for the transparent UV-curing paint. The UV-curing paint is preferably coated in a thickness of 15-25 microns in the spray-coating manner. It makes a coating process difficult to obtain too thin a coating, and full protection effects can not be obtained through such a thin coating. Too thick a coating has a drawback that the gloss of stone dies away in half since the angled portions come blunt. A coating thickness is preferably 10-25 microns. Further, before the coating, it is preferable the stones are ultrasonically washed, electrically discharged, and treated dust-free for the coating. After the coating, the stones are heated under the far infrared radiations at temperatures of 50-70° C. for 90-180 seconds, cooled at the room temperature for 20-50° C., and ultraviolet-radiated. A high-pressure mercury lamp or metal halite lamp is used for the ultraviolet radiations, and an amount of the ultraviolet radiations is preferably adjusted to 800-1200 J/cm². The room temperature is adjusted below 80° C. upon curing.

[0019] Aluminum foil is deposited on the lower side of a material 10 molded by injecting acrylic resin. The aluminum foil is deposited in the same manner as in the conventional rhinestone, so the general aluminum foil deposition method is used for the coating, and there is no specific restriction imposed on the coating methods and materials.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a view for showing a hand nail on which an artificial stone manufactured according to the present invention is decorated, that is, for showing an implementation of the artificial stone according to the invention. In case that a hand nail is decorated with the artificial stone of the present invention, first, manicure is applied on the hand nail, an artificial stone is attached on a desired portion of the nail, top coat is applied over it and cured.

[0021] If the UV-curing paint coating, curing, and the aluminum foil deposition are completed through the process, the stone of acrylic resin-based material is ultrasonically cut into individual pieces. FIG. 3 is a view for showing a step for cutting the stone of acrylic resin-based material. As shown in FIG. 3, the acrylic resin-based stone material is not formed in individual unit pieces, but in one plate having hundreds of individual unit pieces connected together. The UV-coating and the aluminum foil deposition on the bottom of the material are completed in the plate state, and the positions marked A and B where the individual unit pieces are in weak connections are cut by using the ultrasonic wave, to thereby complete products.

[0022] [EMBODIMENT 1]

[0023] Nail-decorative molded material of diverse shapes such as hemisphere, rectangle, and the like was fabricated with acrylic resin through the injection molding manner. after ultrasonic cleaning on the material, a process for electrical discharge and dust removal proceeded with the material. A transparent UV-curing paint (Ubiron 417A, manufactured by Mitsubishi plastics engineering) which is primarily a mixture of modified acrylate oligomer and monomer was diluted in a diluting agent (No. 25 or 27, manufactured by Mitsubishi plastics engineering) to have a viscosity of 10±2 seconds (Ford Cap NO 4) at temperature of 25° C. Nozzles of 0.8-11.0 mm were used to jet the paint at an air pressure of 3.0-3.5 kg/cm², to thereby spray-coat the material in a coat thickness of 20 microns. After I.R (60° C., 120 seconds) settings, the material was cooled at 25° C. for 40 seconds. The room temperature was adjusted below 0° C., the high-pressure mercury lamp of 80 W/cm was used and the UV radiation amount was controlled to 1000 J/cm², and ultraviolet light was radiated for curing the coated material. In a next step, aluminum foil was deposited on the bottom of the material which will be attached on natural nails. The foil-deposited material was cut into individual pieces by using the ultrasonic wave. Manicure was applied on natural nails, the natural nails were decorated by stones of various shapes, and top coat was applied on the decorated stones and cured. FIG. 4 is a photograph for showing stones decorating the natural nails.

[0024] As can be seen in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings of the present invention, the artificial stones of the present invention are molded through the injection molding manner without extra machining such as cutting and so on, so diverse shapes can be easily obtained such as rectangle, hemisphere, star, heart, cubic or 3D-nail hanger, nail charm which is a plainly curved accessory, and so on, rather than 8-angled shape, 12-angled shape, and the like of the conventional rhinestone. Further, the present invention enables artificial nail-decorative stones to be manufactured in a simple process and a low cost.

[0025] In particular, the acrylic resin-based stones have advantages of hundreds of diverse colors and excellent gloss, as well as that the stones are light-weighted.