TOWEL HOLDER APPARATUS

Abstract

The Invention is an apparatus for releasably holding a towel. A one-piece body defines a belt clip, a first flat spring and a second flat spring. The first and second flat springs define towel-engaging edges. The flat springs are curved so that the towel-engaging edges are proximal one to the other and define a gap. The spring rate of the flat springs and the gap are selected so that flat springs exerts an adequate force to the towel to securely retain the towel when the towel is placed between said first and said second towel-engaging edges in the center portion of the apparatus. The gap increases with longitudinal distance along the towel-engaging edges from the center portion of the apparatus, allowing insertion or removal of the towel.

Description

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

The Invention is a portable towel holder that will securely hold a towel on the person of a user while allowing ready and convenient access to the towel by the user.

B. Description of the Related Art

A person engaged in work requiring the frequent cleaning of the person's hands, tools or other objects often must carry one or more towels on his or her person to assist in that cleaning. A towel may be carried by inserting the towel into a pocket or through a belt or through a loop maintained for that purpose. Such methods for carrying a towel require that the user strike a balance between security and convenience. If the user carries a towel in a manner that is convenient and readily accessible, then the towel is not secure using prior art methods and may fall from the pocket, belt or loop. Conversely, if the user secures the towel to the pocket, belt or loop so that the towel is secure, then the towel is not readily accessible by the user.

What is needed is an apparatus for carrying a towel on the person of a user that both holds the towel securely and also provides ready access to the towel. The prior art does not teach the apparatus of the present invention.

II. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention is an apparatus for securely holding a towel on the person of a user while allowing ready and convenient access to the towel.

The towel holder of the Invention includes a one-piece body. The one-piece body defines a resilient belt clip allowing the one-piece body to be releasably attached to the belt of a wearer. The one-piece body also defines a flat spring having two ends. Each end of the flat spring defines a towel-engaging edge. The flat spring is curved so that the two towel-engaging edges defined by the two ends are proximal one to the other and the flat spring defines an interior volume.

The interior volume defined by the flat spring has an upper, a lower and a center portion. Hence the two towel-engaging edges defined by the flat spring also have upper, center and lower portions. The upper and lower portions of the two towel-engaging edges are relieved so that the distance between the two towel-engaging edges of the upper and lower portions increases with increasing distance from the center portion. The distances between the two towel-engaging edges at the upper and lower ends of the one-piece body are selected to readily receive the towel. The distance between the two towel-engaging edges in the center portion is selected to securely retain the towel.

In use, a user places a towel so that a first part of the towel is inside the interior volume at either the upper end of the interior volume or at the lower end of the interior volume and a second part of the towel is outside the interior volume. The person grips the second part of the towel that is outside the interior volume and moves the towel toward the center portion of the center portion of the interior volume. As the towel advances toward the center portion of the interior volume, the towel progressively engages the two towel-engaging edges, spreading the flat spring. The force exerted by the flat spring grips the towel between the two towel-engaging edges, securely holding the towel in place.

To remove the towel from the towel holder of the Invention, the user grips the second part of the towel and pulls the towel in either the upward or downward directions, toward the upper or lower portion of the interior volume. As the towel moves toward the upper or lower portion of the interior volume, the relief of the towel-engaging edges causes the distance between the towel engaging edges to increase, reducing the force applied to the towel and releasing the towel from the flat spring.

The one-piece body may be equipped with a keyhole wall mount to allow the one-piece body to the mounted to a wall or other object.

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the Invention holding a towel.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the Invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the Invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the Invention

IV. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

From FIG. 1 through, the Invention is a holder 2 for a towel 4. The Invention features a one-piece body 6. The body 6 defines a clip 8 for attaching the apparatus to the belt or other clothing of a user. The body 6 defines a first side 10 and a second side 12. First side 10 and second side 12 are curved to form a first flat spring 14 and a second flat spring 16. The first flat spring 14 defines a first towel-engaging edge 18. The second flat spring defines 16 a second towel-engaging edge 20.

The curvature of the first and second flat springs 14, 16 is selected so that the first and second towel-engaging edges 18, 20 are proximal one to the other and the first and second sides 10, 12 are in the shape of a flattened cylinder 22. The flattened cylinder 22 has a top cylinder end 24 and a bottom cylinder end 26 and defines an interior volume 28. The top cylinder end 24 and bottom cylinder end 26 are open.

The first and second towel-engaging edges 18, 20 are separated by a gap 30. The flattened cylinder 22, and hence the interior volume 28, has an upper portion 32, a lower portion 34 and a center portion 36. In the center portion 34, the gap 30 is adequately small that the towel 4 cannot be inserted through the gap 30 in a direction generally normal to the first and second towel-engaging edges 18, 20. The gap 30 at a measuring location 38 increases with longitudinal distance from the center portion 34 along the first and second towel-engaging edges 18, 20. In the upper portion 32 and the lower portion 36, the gap 30 is adequately large that a first part 40 of the towel 4 may be inserted manually through the gap 30. The upper, lower and center portions 32, 34, 36 hence are determined by the gap 30.

The Gap 30 and the spring rates of the first and second flat springs 14, 16 are selected so that the towel 4 is securely retained when towel 4 is placed between first and second towel-engaging edges 18, 20 in the center portion 34 of the flattened cylinder 22.

Because the gap 30 increases with distance from the center portion 34, a user may insert the first part 40 of the towel 4 through the gap 30 in either the upper portion 32 or the lower portion 36 and move the towel 4 longitudinally along the towel-engaging edges 18, 20 toward the center portion 34 until the towel 4 is securely retained by the center portion 34. To remove the towel 4, the user may either reverse the motion of the towel 4 or may continue moving the towel 4 in the same longitudinal direction along the towel-engaging edges 18, 20 until the towel 4 is freed from the center portion 34 and may then be removed either from the upper or lower portion, 32, 34.

As shown by the perspective view of FIG. 5 and the top view of FIG. 6, the clip 8 is curved and has a belt clip axis of curvature 42. The belt clip axis of curvature 42 falls on a plane 44. The first side 10 has a first side axis of curvature 46, also referred to herein as the first flat spring axis of curvature. The second side 12 has a second side axis of curvature 48, also referred to herein as the second flat spring axis of curvature. The first side axis of curvature 46 and the second side axis of curvature 46, 48 are located so as to be generally normal to the plane 44.

The apparatus of the Invention may be formed of a single piece of a polymer. The apparatus may be formed by any suitable means known in the art.

In describing the above embodiments of the invention, specific terminology was selected for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Claims

1. An apparatus for releasably holding a towel, the apparatus comprising: a. a one-piece body;b. a belt clip defined by said body;c. a first flat spring defined by said body, said first flat spring having a first end defining a first towel-engaging edge, said first flat spring being curved;d. a second flat spring defined by said body, said second flat spring having a second end, said second end defining a second towel-engaging edge, said second flat spring being curved, said first and said second towel-engaging edges being proximal one to the other, said first and said second towel-engaging edges defining a gap thereinbetween, said first and said second flat springs having a spring rate, said spring rate and said gap being selected so that said first and said second flat spring exerts an adequate force to the towel to securely retain the towel when the towel is placed between said first and said second towel-engaging edges.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first flat spring and said second flat spring in combination define an interior volume having an upper portion, a lower portion and a center portion, said gap between said first and said second towel-engaging edges increasing with longitudinal distance of a location of measurement from said center portion, whereby a first part of the towel may be manually inserted through said gap in said upper or said lower portion and said towel may not be manually inserted through said gap in said central portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said interior volume being in a shape of a hollow flattened cylinder, said hollow flattened cylinder having an upper cylinder end and a lower cylinder end, said upper cylinder end and said lower cylinder end being open.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said body is formed a single piece of a polymer having a top, a first side and a second side.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the apparatus further comprising: a. said top of said single piece of said polymer is curved to form said belt clip, said belt clip defining a belt clip axis of curvature, said belt clip axis of curvature falling on a plane;b. said first and said second sides of single piece of said polymer each being curved to form said flattened cylinder, said first side having a first side axis of curvature, said second side having a second side axis of curvature, said first and said second axes of curvature being substantially normal to said plane.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said first and said second towel-engaging edges touch one another in said center portion of said interior volume.

7. A towel holder apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. A single piece of a polymer having a top, a first side and a second side;b. a belt clip defined by said top of said single piece of said polymer, said belt clip having a belt clip axis of curvature, said belt clip axis of curvature falling upon a plane;c. a first flat spring defined by said first side of said single piece of said polymer, said first flat spring being curved, said first flat spring having a first flat spring axis of curvature, said first flat spring axis of curvature being substantially normal to said plane;d. a second flat spring defined by said second side of said single piece of said polymer, said second flat spring being curved, said second flat spring having a second flat spring axis of curvature, said second flat spring axis of curvature being substantially normal to said plane, said first flat spring and said second flat spring in combination being in the shape of a flattened cylinder, said flattened cylinder having an upper portion, a center portion and a lower portion;d. a first towel-engaging edge defined by said first flat spring;e. a second towel-engaging edge defined by said second flat spring, said first towel-engaging edge and said second towel-engaging edge being proximal one to the other;f. a gap defined by said first and said second towel-engaging edges, said gap in said center portion of said flattened cylinder being selected to be too small to allow the towel to be inserted manually normal to the first and second towel-engaging edges, said gap in said top portion and said bottom portions of said flattened cylinder increasing with longitudinal distance from said center portion, said gap in said top and said bottom portions being selected to allow a first part of the towel to be placed manually through said gap normal to said first and said second towel engaging edges and within said interior volume of said flattened cylinder, whereby said first part of the towel may be inserted between the towel-engaging edges of the upper or lower portions of said flattened cylinder and the towel may then be moved to the center portion of the flattened cylinder, releasably retaining the towel.