Patent Application
20050251942
The present invention relates to a holder device such as a finger-mounted holder device. More particularly, one version of the holder device may be used as an eraser for whiteboards.
When using whiteboards and other display boards, it is common to use the fingers to erase text and other information from the whiteboard because there may be no eraser available. The erasing with the fingers makes the fingers dirty and they are difficult to wash clean.
There is a need for a more effective way of erasing information from whiteboards and other boards without making the fingers dirty. There is also a need for a holder for other applications such as caulking and for a holder that may be used to hold an item such as a pen.
The device of the present invention provides a solution to the above-outlined problems. More particularly, the holder device has an elongate member that has an upwardly protruding tip. A holder segment is attached to a side edge of the elongate member. The holder device has an upper section extending over the member to an opposite side edge. The elongate member has an upper surface with a high friction area disposed thereon to make sure a finger or pen is properly held within the holder device.
With reference to
The upper surface 24 has a high friction area 26 disposed between the front tip 14 and the element 16. The friction area 26 may have a plurality of elongate slits or openings 28 or a raised surface or any other method of increasing the friction between the upper surface 24 and a finger 30. The finger 30 is used as an illustrative example because the holder 10 may be used to hold a pen or any other item also. The section 20 urges the finger 30 towards the friction surface 26 as a finger tip 31 of the finger 30 is pushed to rest on the upwardly bend front tip 14 to firmly hold the finger in place. The tip 14 prevents the finger from sliding too far forward. The upper surface 24 may have a concave shape to better conform to the shape of the finger 30. The fact that the section 20 does not extend all the way to the side edge 23 makes it easier to insert a pen or a finger into the opening formed therebetween by urging the tip 25 away from the upper surface 24 of the member 12 so that the finger is clamped inside the opening 22. It may also be possible to provide the inside surface 21 with a high friction material also, if required.
The member 12 has as underside surface 32 that may include a suitable dry erasure material 34 such as a cloth. The material may also be a sandpaper layer. The holder may also be used for evening out caulking or other soft/conformable materials. The material 34 may extend under the front tip 14 also. Optionally, the upper surface 24 and the upper section 20 may include suitable advertisement information so that the device 10 may be used as a give-away product.
The device 10 may be used to erase text form whiteboards and other such boards with erasable information. The device 10 may also be used for painting, grinding or any other suitable application. The device 10 may also include a magnet so that it can easily be attached to the whiteboard.
It may also be possible to provide the member 12 with a tip that is bent downwardly so that the finger tip 31 can be bent over the downwardly bent tip.
While the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60571671 | May 2004 | US |
