The present disclosure is directed to systems, apparatus and/or devices that prevent towels from slipping off a towel holder, appliance handle, or the like. The systems, apparatus and devices may include a surface that provides a frictional interface between the towel and towel holder.
It is not uncommon for towels hung on a towel rack or handle of a household appliance, such as an oven or dishwasher, to slip off and fall to the ground. Towels that slip off their holders and fall to the ground are an annoyance for most people, but can also be the source of pain and discomfort to individuals suffering from a physical condition that makes it difficult to regularly bend over and pick up fallen towels. The present inventions described herein address this problem.
In an aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a device for preventing a towel from slipping off of a towel holder. The device is attachable and removable from the towel holder and includes a towel contacting surface and an opposed towel holder contacting surface. The towel contacting surface of the device provides a frictional interface between the towel and towel holder. More particularly, the towel contacting surface and the towel holder contacting surface may be defined by a flexible, generally planar body with a pair of opposing first and second edges. At least one attachment formation is associated with the body and positioned adjacent to the first edge of the body and at least one attachment formation is associated with the body and positioned adjacent to the second edge of the body. Each attachment element has a greater thickness than the body, and the at least one attachment formation positioned adjacent to the first edge of the body is configured to be aligned with and connected to the at least one attachment formation positioned adjacent to the second edge of the body to place the body into an engaged condition surrounding a towel holder.
As used herein, the term “towel holder” includes, but is not limited to, a towel rod attached to a wall, the handle of an appliance or other unit, such as a drawer or other storage unit. A towel holder may include a rod, either tubular or non-tubular, or other elongated support member, whether located in the kitchen, bathroom, or any other room of a home, business or other facility. Thus, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus, device or system that at least substantially prevents towels, cloths, rags and other articles made of fabric that may be folded and/or hung over a towel holder from slipping off the same. The device or apparatus may be one that is removably associated with the towel holder.
Turning now to the drawings,
As further shown in
The device in accordance with the present disclosure may have a length that is substantially coincident with the length of a standard kitchen or bathroom cloth or towel or even slightly longer than the length of the towel. Alternatively, device 30 may be shorter in length than the standard cloth or towel, as shown in
In alternative embodiments, as described below, rather than attaching opposing plies to each other, the device may be shorter with ends configured to cooperatively attach to each other and thereby secure the device relative to the towel holder. In a further embodiment, the device may be a sheet or strip that is successively wrapped over the towel holder and, optionally, over itself. As noted, such embodiments of the device made in accordance with the present disclosure are shown in
For example, as shown in
Turning now to
In order to provide a frictional surface on which the towel rests, towel contacting surface 314 of device 300 may further include a plurality of raised members 315 or include another type of texturing. In one embodiment, as shown in
A further alternative embodiment of a device in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
Yet another embodiment of a device made in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
A further alternative embodiment of a device in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
A further embodiment of a device made in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
A still further variation or embodiment of a device made in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
In a further variation of the magnetic attachment in device 900, device may be provided as a sheet 912, shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment formations 1014 are substantially identical, with each being generally configured as a truncated square pyramid or a square frustum with rounded edges and corners. In other embodiments, the attachment formations 1014 may have different shapes (e.g., all being generally circular) and/or sizes (in terms of the area occupied by each attachment formation 1014 and/or the thickness TF of each attachment formation 1014). For example, rather than nine generally square attachment formations 1014 extending along the width of the edges 1010 and 1012, a single rectangular attachment formation may extend along the width of the edges 1010 and 1012 or three rectangular attachment formations (individually having greater surface areas than the surface areas of the individual illustrated attachment formations 1014) may be arranged in a row along the width of an edge 1010, 1012. Regardless of the shape of the attachment formations 1014, as will be described in greater detail, the attachment formations 1014 function to connect the edges 1010 and 1012 of the device 1000 together by association with a mating attachment formation 1014, such that it may be advantageous for all of the attachment formations 1014 to be substantially identically configured.
Each attachment formation 1014 is shown as extending beyond both the towel contacting surface 1004 and the towel holder contacting surface 1006, with a greater extension above the towel contacting surface 1004 than below the towel holder contacting surface 1006. In other embodiments, an attachment formation 1014 may extend to an equal degree above the towel contacting surface 1004 and below the towel holder contacting surface 1006 or extend farther below the towel holder contacting surface 1006 than above the towel contacting surface 1004. While the degree of these extensions may vary between the attachment formations 1014 of an individual device 1000, it may be advantageous for all of the attachment formations 1014 to be substantially identically configured for improved connection of the edges 1010 and 1012 of the device 1000, as will be described in greater detail.
Each attachment formation 1014 is further shown as having a substantially flat upper and lower surface 1016 and 1018, which are parallel with each other and with the plane defined by the body 1002 of the device 1000. In other embodiments, one or both of the upper and lower surfaces 1016 and 1018 of one or more of the attachment formations 1014 may be non-planar and/or inclined with respect to the plane defined by the body 1002, but it may be advantageous for all of the upper and lower surfaces 1016 and 1018 of the attachment formations 1014 to be substantially parallel with each other and the plane defined by the body 1002 for improved connection of the edges 1010 and 1012 of the device 1000, as will be described in greater detail.
The flexible device 1000 may be deformed from its flat, unraveled condition of
In one embodiment, a magnet 1020 (
Additionally, the orientation of the magnets 1020 may depend upon the intended use of the device 1000. For example, if the device 1000 is intended to be used in a way that two or more attachment formations 1014 are aligned and connected at their lower surfaces 1018 (resulting in the “U-shaped” configuration of
While the incorporation of magnets 1020 into the attachment formations 1014 may be preferred, in other embodiments, other means may be provided for connecting pairs of attachment formations 1014, such as a (preferably weak) adhesive or interlocking members (e.g., an extension of one attachment formation 1014 that is received within a cavity of a matching attachment formation 1014).
In the illustrated embodiment, one row 1022 of attachment formations 1014 adjacent to the first edge 1010 is aligned with and connected to another row 1024 of attachment formations 1014 adjacent to the second edge 1012 in the engaged condition. While it is not necessary for the attachment formations 1014 to be provided in uniform rows and columns (as in the illustrated embodiment), it may be advantageous for the attachment formations 1014 to be arranged in some regular distribution pattern to simplify alignment and connection of pairs of attachment formations 1014.
If the attachment formations 1014 are provided in rows, it may be advantageous for the first edge 1010 include one row 1022 of attachment formations 1014 and the second edge 1012 to include a plurality of rows 1024, 1026, and 1028. In such an embodiment, the single row 1022 of attachment formations 1014 may be aligned with and connected to one of the rows 1024, 1026, 1028 of attachment formations 1014 adjacent to the second edge 1012, depending on the diameter of the associated towel holder 22. In other embodiments, each edge 1010, 1012 may include a single row of attachment formations 1014 or a plurality of rows of attachment formations 1014, with each edge 1010, 1012 having the same or a different number of associated rows of attachment formations 1014.
In order to provide a frictional surface on which the towel rests, the towel contacting surface 1004 of the device 1000 may further include a plurality of raised or enlarged friction members or formations 1030 or include another type of texturing. In the illustrated embodiment, the friction formations 1030 are positioned between the attachment formation(s) 1014 associated with the first edge 1010 and the attachment formation(s) 1014 associated with the second edge 1012. The friction formations 1030 may be integrally formed with the body 1002 of the device 1000, preferably made of a polymeric material (which is silicone, in one embodiment) having sufficient flexibility and elasticity such that the device 1000 can be stretched over a towel holder 22.
Similar to the attachment formations 1014, the friction formations 1030 extend above the towel contacting surface 1004 of the body 1002, but unlike the attachment formations 1014, they do not also extend beyond the towel holder contacting surface 1006 in the illustrated embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the friction formations 1030 are substantially identical to each other, with the same general shape as the attachment formations 1014 (i.e., each being generally configured as a truncated square pyramid or a square frustum with rounded edges and corners) and with the same height as each other. In other embodiments, the friction formations 1030 may have different shapes (e.g., all being generally circular) and/or sizes (in terms of the area occupied by each friction formation 1030 and/or the height of each friction formation 1030). In the illustrated embodiment, the friction formations 1030 are to be smaller than the attachment formations 1014, both in terms of height and surface area, but it is also within the scope of the present disclosure for one or more of the friction formations 1030 to have a greater height and/or to have a greater surface area than one or more of the attachment formations 1014.
Each friction formation 1030 is further shown as having a substantially flat upper surface 1032, which is parallel with the plane defined by the body 1002 of the device 1000. In other embodiments, the upper surface 1032 of one or more of the friction formations 1030 may be non-planar and/or inclined with respect to the plane defined by the body 1002, although it may be advantageous for all of the friction formations 1030 to be substantially identically configured to provide the towel with a more uniform contact interface.
Similar to the attachment formations 1014, the friction formations 1030 may be arranged in uniform rows and columns. In the illustrated embodiment, there are the same number of columns of attachment formations 1014 and friction formations 1030 (nine) and different numbers of rows of attachment formations 1014 (four) and friction formations 1030 (five). In other embodiments, the attachment formations 1014 and friction formations 1030 may be provided in different numbers of rows and columns.
As described previously and best seen in
It will be understood that the embodiments and examples described above are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present subject matter. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter, including those combinations of features that are individually disclosed or claimed herein. For these reasons, the scope hereof is not limited to the above description but is as set forth in the following claims, and it is understood that claims may be directed to the features hereof, including as combinations of features that are individually disclosed or claimed herein.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/360,013, filed Nov. 23, 2016, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/259,719, filed Nov. 25, 2015, the contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200229657 A1 | Jul 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62259719 | Nov 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15360013 | Nov 2016 | US |
Child | 16806491 | US |