Patent Application
20230240433
The invention relates generally to devices and methods for storage, and more specifically to storage solutions for hair styling tools and accessories.
Currently, there exist some solutions for organizing and storing tools such as hairstyling tools. Some of these solutions attempt to address organizing, storage, and portability issues relating to efficiency of access to such tools. However, these solutions fail to completely meet the needs of the industry as growth, change, and the need for versatility within the industry require suitable multifunctional hairstyling tool storage, access, and portability options to optimizing the hair styling experience. Some solutions attempt to establish stationary options for organizing hair styling tools, but these solutions are unable to meet the needs of the industry because they are often restrictive, bulky, and/or impede the styling process in some way. Some solutions seek to provide storage solutions for bulky or larger tools, but these solutions fail to meet industry needs because they fail to effectively account for the needs of hair stylists who require portable, versatile storage solutions. Therefore, there is a need for a solution to these problems.
The aspects or the problems and the associated solutions presented in this section could be or could have been pursued; they are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches presented in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their presence in this section of the application.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Provided herein are devices and methods for a portable belted caddy organizer, also referred to herein as a “portable caddy organizer,” “caddy,” or “caddy organizer.” The devices provided herein can be used for attached to items such as, but not limited to, tripods, tables, chairs, mannequins, and any other suitable objects, such as stationary objects. The portable caddy organizers provided herein can help to establish a more efficient option for transporting, storing, organizing, and accessing tools such as, but not limited to, hair styling tools and accessories.
The caddy organizers provided herein may comprise a belted strap (also referred to herein as a belt or strap), fastener, basket, tooling sleeve, and any other suitable additional tooling compartments. In some embodiments, the caddy organizers may comprise legs, a leg stand, wheels, and so on, for increasing portability. The caddy organizers provided herein may comprise a plurality of pockets, baskets, sleeves, and so on, which may be referred to herein collectively as an organizing system, for assisting the hair stylist using the caddy organizers and streamlining the hairstyling experience. The caddy organizers provided herein may be durable for secure and prolonged use. In some embodiments, the belt of the caddy serves to attach and detach the caddy organizer to a desired object. It should be understood that the caddy organizers disclosed herein may also be provided with any other securing or fastening means such that the caddy organizer can be attached to and detached from a desired object. In some embodiments, the desired object is a stationary object, such as, but not limited to, a tripod, pole, chair, bench, and so on.
The belt may support the tool sleeves and the tool storage baskets, and other storage components of the organization system. Additionally, the caddy organizers disclosed herein provide a benefit over existing systems in that the belt may also serve as a handle to quickly and easily transition the caddy organizer into a portable device, such that the user can quickly and easily transport the caddy. In some embodiments, the sleeves and the tool baskets may connect to the belt.
The caddy organizers provided herein may comprise belting mechanisms or fasteners designed to attach to objects for allowing a user to access tools in a quicker and more seamless manner than they may with other existing caddies. The caddy organizers provided herein may be attached to and detached from any suitable object.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers provided herein comprise an organization system. The organization system may include any suitable pockets, sleeves, baskets, and compartments such as hook compartments for storage and easy access to hairstyling tools. In some embodiments, any one or more individual components of the organization system, such as a basket, compartment, or sleeve, may be attachable to and detachable from the caddy organizer.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers provided herein comprise a collapsible and/or stackable design for increasing portability of the caddy organizers.
In some embodiments, any one or more elements of the caddy organizers provided herein may be constructed from durable, flexible, and easily cleanable materials. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, plastic, mesh, polyester, vinyl, nylon, silicone, aluminum, and steel. It should be understood that the materials used to construct the caddy organizer may be altered to optimize portability and organizational efficiency.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers provided herein may be used without a basket. In such embodiments, the belt may be fastened to a desired object, and tools and accessories can then be placed in various compartments of the organization system.
In some embodiments, a method of using any of the caddy organizers provided herein comprises fastening a belted strap to a desired object, storing tools in the caddy organizer tooling sleeves and baskets, retrieving tools and accessories from the caddy organizer during hairstyling, and returning the tools and accessories to the caddy organizer during or after hairstyling. The methods provided herein may streamline the hairstyling process by providing a user such as a hairstylist with a simple, portable, and accessible hair tool and accessory organizing option for quick and efficient hair styling experiences.
Provided herein is a caddy organizer for hair styling tools, comprising: a base having a flat surface along at least a portion of a bottom side of the base, exterior walls extending upwards from the flat surface, and interior walls within an interior of the base; at least three compartments within the base, wherein each compartment is separated from the other compartments of the base by the interior walls; at least one tray configured to fit into one compartment of the at least three compartments, wherein the at least one tray is removable from the compartment; at least two tool sleeves within the base; a belt along an exterior side of the base, the belt having a securing means; a first plurality of ventilation holes on the exterior walls of the base; and a second plurality of ventilation holes on each of the at least two baskets.
Provided herein is a caddy organizer for hair styling tools, comprising: a base having a flat surface along at least a portion of a bottom side of the base, exterior walls extending upwards from the flat surface, and interior walls within an interior of the base; at least two cutouts on the exterior walls, wherein each one of the cutouts comprise two vertical slits, each vertical slit providing an open space on the bottom side of the base, and having a portion of the exterior walls in between the two vertical slits; at least three compartments within the base, wherein each compartment is separated from the other compartments of the base by the interior walls; at least one tray configured to fit into one compartment of the at least three compartments, wherein the at least one tray is removable from the compartment; at least two tool sleeves within the base, wherein the flat surface does not extend along a bottom side of the at least two tool sleeves; at least two baskets configured to fit into the tool sleeves, wherein each basket extends below the flat surface of the base; a belt along an exterior side of the base, the belt having a securing means; a first plurality of ventilation holes on the exterior walls of the base; and a second plurality of ventilation holes on each of the at least two baskets.
Provided herein is a method of using a caddy organizer for storing and organizing hair styling tools, wherein the caddy organizer comprises: a base having a flat surface along at least a portion of a bottom side of the base, exterior walls extending upwards from the flat surface, and interior walls within an interior of the base; at least two cutouts on the exterior walls, wherein each one of the cutouts comprise two vertical slits, each vertical slit providing an open space on the bottom side of the base, and having a portion of the exterior walls in between the two vertical slits; at least three compartments within the base, wherein each compartment is separated from the other compartments of the base by the interior walls; at least one tray configured to fit into one compartment of the at least three compartments, wherein the at least one tray is removable from the compartment; at least two tool sleeves within the base, wherein the flat surface does not extend along a bottom side of the at least two tool sleeves; at least two baskets configured to fit into the tool sleeves, wherein each basket extends below the flat surface of the base; a belt along an exterior side of the base, the belt having a securing means; a first plurality of ventilation holes on the exterior walls of the base; and a second plurality of ventilation holes on each of the at least two baskets; the method comprising: opening the securing means of the belt; securing the belt around a desired object; closing the securing means of the belt around the desired object such that the caddy organizer is secured to the desired object; placing at least one hair styling tool into the base; removing the at least one hair styling tool from the base when the at least one hair styling tool is needed during a hair styling session; and returning the at least one hair styling tool into the base.
The above aspects or examples and advantages, as well as other aspects or examples and advantages, will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.
For exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes, aspects, embodiments or examples of the invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:
What follows is a description of various aspects, embodiments and/or examples in which the invention may be practiced. Reference will be made to the attached drawings, and the information included in the drawings is part of this detailed description. The aspects, embodiments and/or examples described herein are presented for exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes. It should be understood that structural and/or logical modifications could be made by someone of ordinary skills in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents.
It should be understood that, for clarity of the drawings and of the specification, some or all details about some structural components or steps that are known in the art are not shown or described if they are not necessary for the invention to be understood by one of ordinary skills in the art.
For the following description, it can be assumed that most correspondingly labeled elements across the figures (e.g., 105 and 205, etc.) possess the same characteristics and are subject to the same structure and function. If there is a difference between correspondingly labeled elements that is not pointed out, and this difference results in a non-corresponding structure or function of an element for a particular embodiment, example or aspect, then the conflicting description given for that particular embodiment, example or aspect shall govern.
In some embodiments, the base 101 comprises a flat surface 116 along at least a portion of a bottom side of the base. In some embodiments, the base 101 comprises exterior walls 117 extending upwards from the flat surface 116, and interior walls 118 within an interior of the base. In such embodiments, each of the compartments of the caddy organizer is separated from the other compartments by the interior walls 118.
Provided herein are methods for using any of the caddy organizers disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the methods comprise opening the securing means of the belt; securing the belt around a desired object; closing the securing means of the belt around the desired object such that the caddy organizer is secured to the desired object; placing at least one hair styling tool into the base; removing the at least one hair styling tool from the base when the at least one hair styling tool is needed during a hair styling session; and returning the at least one hair styling tool into the base. In some embodiments, the hair styling tool is a heat styling tool, and the caddy organizer comprises at least two baskets, wherein the at least two baskets are constructed from a heat resistant material; and the placing step comprises placing the heat styling tool into one basket of the at least two baskets. In some embodiments, the methods disclosed herein comprise removing the belt from the desired object; and removing the caddy organizer from the desired object.
As shown as an example, the caddy organizer 100 of
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers disclosed herein are provided with cutouts 108, also referred to herein as slits or cutaways. The cutouts 108 may be provided on one or more portions of the base 101. The cutouts 108 may allow for the caddy organizer to be stackable on other caddy organizer units. It should be understood that the caddy organizers disclosed herein may be constructed such that they are stackable with other caddy organizers by having the cutouts 108, or even without having cutouts 108.
As shown as a first example, a first caddy organizer 100a is shown with a top left compartment 109a, a top right compartment 109b, a bottom left compartment 109c fitted with a tray 103, a bottom right compartment 109d fitted with a tray 103. The top left compartment 109a comprises a ring holder 110 for accessories or tools to be hooked or placed into. The caddy organizer 100a also comprises a bottom center basket 104b and a basket 104a within the top right compartment. The basket 104a may be fitted into a tool sleeve of the caddy organizer 100a, wherein the tool sleeve does not have a bottom such that the basket can extend below the flat bottom 116 of the base, such as the example shown and described herein when referring to
As shown as a second example, a second caddy organizer 100b is shown with a top left compartment 109a, a top right compartment 109b, and a bottom compartment 109e. The top left compartment 109a and the top right compartment 109b each comprise tool sleeves 102 of various sizes. In some embodiments, the flat bottom 116 of the base 101 extends throughout the entirety of the base and is included along the bottom of the tool sleeves 102.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers disclosed herein comprise ventilation holes 111. The ventilation holes 111 may be useful dissipating heat from hair styling tools that use heat which are then stored in the caddy organizer. In some embodiments, ventilation holes are provided in the base 101. In some embodiments, ventilation holes are provided in the baskets of the organization system.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers disclosed herein comprise at least two trays. In some embodiments, the caddy organizers disclosed herein comprise at least four trays. In some embodiments, at least two trays are provided and are configured to fit into one compartment of the caddy organizer, wherein the at least two trays are configured to be nested on top of each other.
In some embodiments, the caddy organizers disclosed herein comprise rounded edges along the exterior walls, and wherein a portion 121 of the exterior walls curves inwards towards a center point 120 of the base.
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.
Further, as used in this application, “plurality” means two or more. A “set” of items may include one or more of such items. Whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims.
If present, use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. These terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used in this application, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items.
Throughout this description, the aspects, embodiments or examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus or procedures disclosed or claimed. Although some of the examples may involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives.
Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one aspect, embodiment or example are not intended to be excluded from a similar role(s) in other aspects, embodiments or examples.
Aspects, embodiments or examples of the invention may be described as processes, which are usually depicted using a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may depict the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. With regard to flowcharts, it should be understood that additional and fewer steps may be taken, and the steps as shown may be combined or further refined to achieve the described methods.
If means-plus-function limitations are recited in the claims, the means are not intended to be limited to the means disclosed in this application for performing the recited function, but are intended to cover in scope any equivalent means, known now or later developed, for performing the recited function.
Claim limitations should be construed as means-plus-function limitations only if the claim recites the term “means” in association with a recited function.
If any presented, the claims directed to a method and/or process should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Although aspects, embodiments and/or examples have been illustrated and described herein, someone of ordinary skills in the art will easily detect alternate of the same and/or equivalent variations, which may be capable of achieving the same results, and which may be substituted for the aspects, embodiments and/or examples illustrated and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of this application is intended to cover such alternate aspects, embodiments and/or examples. Hence, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. Further, each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/334,087, filed Apr. 23, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference, to the extent that it is not conflicting with the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63334087 | Apr 2022 | US |
