Patent Application
20060207902
The invention relates to hands-free article carriers worn on a forearm of a user.
Those who work with their hands often have more tools to work with than hands to hold them. When hands are full, picking up one tool requires that another be put down. Often, an individual will set the tool on a nearby table top, or, depending upon the type of tool, place it in a pocket or attach it to an article of clothing. Hair stylists, for example, frequently clip bobby pins and hair clips to their clothing when working with a client. Make-up artists often put their tools or brushes behind their ears or in their back pockets, or hold multiple brushes in their free hand.
Typically during the course of performing the task, the need arises to use a tool that has been set down. However, the individual often does not immediately remember where she set the tool or finds that she has moved away from easy reach of the tool and must now stretch, turn, bend, or move back to reach it. Aside from being inconvenient and causing fatigue and frustration, these various movements can make individuals who work personally with their clients, such as make-up artists, hairdressers and cosmetologists, appear unprofessional and disorganized. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus that permits individuals to have their hands free to serve their clients, but keeps handy the tools of their trades.
In one aspect, the invention features a carrier of articles for wearing around a forearm. The carrier includes a carrier body having a top side, a center portion, and an end portion on each side of the center portion. The carrier body has a length sized to cover a substantial portion of a length of the forearm of a wearer and a width at the front edge that is narrower than at the back edge, forming a tapered sleeve that conforms to a shape of the forearm when the carrier is worn. An open-ended compartment on the top side of the carrier body snugly receives an article.
In another aspect, the invention features a carrier of articles for wearing around a forearm. The carrier includes a sleeve having a length adapted to cover a substantial portion of a length of the forearm of a wearer of the carrier, and an open-ended compartment on a surface of the sleeve for snugly receiving and holding an article in place.
The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like structural elements and features in various figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
The present invention features a hands-free carrier for use by individuals, such as manicurists, hairdressers, make-up artists, cosmetologists, dental assistants, and the like, who work with their hands and often switch among various articles or tools in the course of providing their services. The carrier of the invention gives these individuals a mechanism for organizing their tools and keeping them in ready position for when they are needed.
Each end portion 14, 14′ has means for fastening 26, 26′, respectively, to the other end portion 14′, 14. In one embodiment, the means for fastening 26 includes hook-and-loop material (e.g., VELCRO®). One component (i.e., hook or loop) of this material is attached to the top side 16 of the right end portion 14 and the corresponding mating component is attached to the underside 18 of the left end portion 14′. The placement of the hook-and-loop material on the top side 16 and underside 18 can be reversed; that is, one component is attached to the top side 16 of the left end portion 14′ and the corresponding mating component is attached to the underside 18 of the right end portion 14. Preferably, the hook component of the hook-and-loop material is attached to the top side 16 so that when the carrier 2 is wrapped around the forearm, the hook structures, which may be abrasive to the skin, face away from the surface of the forearm.
To produce an adequate attachment between the end portions 14, 14′, the hook-and-loop material covers most of the end portion 14, 14′. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other means for fastening together the end portions 14, 14′ can be used without departing from the principles of the invention. Examples of other fastener means include, but are not limited to, snaps, clasps, latches, hooks, belts and buckles, and zippers.
Extending laterally across the top side 16 of the center portion 12 and attached (i.e., stitched or sewn) at various places 24 to the center portion 12 is a strap 28. These places 24 of attachment to the carrier body 10 form various compartments 30, 30′ (generally 30) for holding articles or tools 32. In general, to place an article 32 (e.g., haircutting shears, make-up brush, powder brush, or eyeliner pencils) into one of the compartments 30, a user slides the article 32 between the strap 28 and the top side 16 of the center portion 12. For some types of articles, such as bobby pins and hair clips, the strap 28 provides an edge to which the user can clip the article. Typically, a portion of the article 32 remains outside of the compartment 30 so that the user can readily grasp and remove the article 32.
In one embodiment, the strap 28 is made of elastic material. The elasticity of the strap 28 holds the articles 32 firmly against the center portion 12. Non-elastic embodiments of the strap 28 (e.g., strings, belts, bands) can be used without departing from the principles of the invention, provided the strap 28 when attached to the carrier body 10 is sufficiently taut to hold the articles 32 securely against the top side 16 of the center portion 12.
Preferably, the strap 28 extends laterally across the center portion 12 (i.e., substantially parallel to the front edge 20). In another embodiment, the strap 28 extends vertically across the center portion 12 (i.e., perpendicular to the front edge 20). Various embodiments of the carrier 2 have straps of different length and in different numbers. For example, in one embodiment, the strap 28 extends across the entire width of the center portion 12 and is attached at the interfaces between the end portions 14, 14′ and the center portion 12. In another embodiment, the strap 28 does not fully extend across of the center portion 12; that is, the strap 28 is shorter in length than the width of the center portion 12. In yet another embodiment, multiple straps extend laterally across the center portion 12. Such straps can be laterally or vertically aligned with each other on the top side 16 of the center portion 12, laterally or vertically offset from each others (i.e., some nearer or farther from the front or back edges 20, 22 of the center portion 12), or combinations thereof.
Typical embodiments of the forearm carrier 2 have as few as one compartment 30 and as many as twenty, although embodiments with more than one compartment 30 take fuller advantage of the benefits of the invention and embodiments with more than twenty compartments 30 can be constructed without departing from the principles of the invention.
Compartments 30 can have various sizes or styles. Some compartments 30 are generally flat, for receiving articles 32 such as haircutting shears, bobby pins and hair clips. Other compartments 30′ are generally tubular for receiving rounder articles, such as eyeliner pencils, blush brushes and eyebrow brushes. In general, the particular style and sizes of the compartments 30 depend upon the particular use of the forearm carrier 2 (e.g., make up artists, manicurists). In some embodiments, one or more of the compartments 30 are aligned with a pocket 34 for receiving the end of the article 32 held by that compartment 30. The pocket 34 can provide a measure of protection against injury, for example, from a pointed tip of haircutting shears.
Attached at the front edge 20 of the center portion 12 is an optional protective cover 36 made of soft material that can be folded over the articles 32 (e.g., when the carrier 2 is not being worn and is set on a table top). A fastener (not shown) can be placed on the top side 16 of the center portion 12 and a corresponding fastener (not shown) on the top side of the cover 36 so that the cover 36 can be secured when folded over the articles 32. The cover 36 can be made of various materials, such as, but not limited to, nylon, silk, suede, and leather. Referring also to
The carrier body 10 is constructed of layers of various materials sewn together. In one embodiment, a layer of neoprene material is sandwiched between layers of duck cloth. The neoprene material gives the carrier 2 structure that provides a measure of stiffness for supporting the articles 32. The carrier materials are machine-washable. Other materials, such as nylon and spandex, can also be used to construct other embodiments of the carrier body 10.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. For example,
This application is a continuation application claiming the benefit of the filing date of co-pending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 10/643,830, filed Aug. 19, 2003, titled “Hands-Free Forearm Carrier of Articles,” the entirety of which U.S. patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10643830 | Aug 2003 | US |
| Child | 11438403 | May 2006 | US |
