UNIVERSAL DEVICE HOLDER

Abstract

An elongated sleeve or elongated sleeve and pocket combination configured to hold and accommodate a plurality of cylindrical devices or everyday carry devices. The elongated sleeve or elongated sleeve and pocket combination comprising an adhesive backing configured to adhere to a plastic or vinyl surface or magnetically engage to a magnetic surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to an accessory that attaches to the back of a mobile phone; however, it is also adaptable to be attached to any device having a flat surface.

Everyday common carry items such as lipstick, lip gloss, writing utensils, EPIPENs, or as vapor pens are small elongated cylindrical shaped items that are incredibly easy to lose, misplace and forget. These items are often used for their convenience when individual users are in their vehicle, at social functions, home, everyday activities, on errands, and most other environments. In the case of EPIPENs, quick access in an emergency is imperative Most users have these items with them at all times. As such, these items are easily misplaced and lost. Lost items can be a life or death matter in the case of the EPIPEN, but also expensive to replace time and time again.

In the existing prior art, card holders with an adhesive backing are applied to the backs of phones or automobiles. The problem of using a credit card holder to hold a cylindrical object, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is that the cylindrical object slides around and can easily be dropped out of the card holder. The card holder is not designed to securely hold a cylindrical object.

FIG. 2 illustrates another prior art example, the Juul nicotine pen holder. It's shortcoming is that it only accommodates the Juul pen and will not universally accept and hold alternative vape pens. As seen, the Juul holder has an open bottom, which does not securely hold the vape pen and which may allow various vape pens to slide out and be lost.

The present invention seeks to remedy the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a universal cylindrical object holder configured to couple to the back surface of a mobile phone or other common flat surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above, the invention comprises a sleeve having an open top end, a closed bottom end, a pair of opposite closed side walls, and a mounting surface having an adhesive backing configured to stick to a plastic or vinyl surface.

In one aspect the holder is a sleeve configured to hold and secure a cylindrical device such as lip gloss, lip stick, a vapor pen, or an EPIPEN. The device may comprise a flexible material configured to stretch to accommodate the particular device.

In another aspect, the holder may comprise a security device disposed towards the top end of the of the sleeve configured to secure the cylindrical device through compression or friction.

In yet another aspect, the holder combines the sleeve with additional pockets configured to carry items having varying shapes such as medication or an inhaler.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying figures, like elements are identified by like reference numerals among the several preferred embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art example.

FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art example.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example sleeve applied to a phone.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example sleeve applied to a phone case.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example sleeve applied to a car steering wheel.

FIG. 6 illustrates a combination sleeve and pocket as applied to a phone.

FIG. 7 illustrates a combination sleeve as an emergency allergy kit.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, wherein similar structures have similar reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Turning to FIG. 3, there is illustrated the inventive sleeve 10. The sleeve 10 comprises an open top 12, closed bottom 14, opposite closed side walls 16, and a mounting surface having an adhesive backing 17. In one aspect the sleeve 10 may further comprise a security member 11 disposed towards the open top 12 configured to provide a compressive or frictional force on the cylindrical object placed inside the sleeve 10. The security member 11 may comprise an elastic material configured to stretch and retract onto the cylindrical device or a silicone (or similar material) configured to stretch and retract onto the cylindrical device as well as providing a frictional force to prevent the device from sliding out. In some aspects, the mounting surface comprises an extended perimeter beyond at least two of the top open end, first closed side, second closed side, and bottom closed end, the extended perimeter of the mounting surface configured to flex to mount to a curved surface.

In one aspect, the sleeve 10 may be constructed from heat and oil resistant material such as neoprene. In other aspects the sleeve 10 may be constructed from a flexible nylon. In other aspects the sleeve 10 may be constructed from a rigid plastic material or flexible material such as silicone. In certain aspects wherein the sleeve 10 is configured to hold a vapor pen, a heat and oil resistant sleeve material is beneficial to as vapor pens contain oil that is heated.

In some aspects, the adhesive backing uses an industrial adhesive such as 3M 300LSE adhesive to securely attach it to the back of a cell phone 18 or other portable device. One of skill in the art would use an industry adhesive configured to adhere to plastic or vinyl.

In some aspects the length of the sleeve 10 is slightly less than the height of most the cylindrical device. This allows the top of the cylindrical device to be easily grasped by the user for removal from the sleeve 10. The width of the sleeve 10 should be approximately the width of the most common cylindrical devices as described above. Embodiments using a flexible material, will stretch to snugly receive and hold various width cylindrical devices and are not restricted to any one type, size, or brand of device. The open top 12 receives the cylindrical device while the closed bottom 14 keeps the cylindrical from falling out of the sleeve 10. Thus, the inventive sleeve 10 is universally adaptable for use by all users of various cylindrical devices.

Turning to FIG. 4, there is illustrated the holder or sleeve 20 that is slightly larger than the sleeve 10 so that it can receive and snugly hold a lipstick or lip gloss container 22. The lipstick or lip gloss container 22 is received through the open top 24 in the sleeve 20. Just as on the sleeve 10, the sleeve 20 has an adhesive back that uses an industrial adhesive such as 3M 300LSE adhesive to securely attach it to the back of a cell phone 18 or other portable device. FIG. 5 shows the sleeve 10 adhered to the steering wheel of a car.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment in which the sleeve 20 and a credit card holder 26 are both mounted on the back of the cell phone or mobile device 18. The credit card holder 26 uses a similar industrial adhesive to be secured to the back of the cell phone or mobile device. The larger version of the holder 28 can accommodate both a credit card holder 26 and either the bolder or sleeve 20 or the sleeve 10. In this manner two holders can be mounted to the back of the cell phone.

In yet another aspect, as shown in FIG. 7, the universal device holder is configured as an emergency allergy kit 100. The emergency allergy kit comprises a kit front surface 102, at least one elongated sleeve 104, and a at least one pocket 106. The at least one elongated sleeve 104, is configured similar to sleeve 10 and may be utilized to hold and EPIPEN, while at least one pocket may be configured to hold other medications as needed for allergies. In some configurations, a second elongated sleeve 108, may be configured similar to sleeve 10 but with a width configured to hold a standard inhaler. Similar to sleeve 10, the emergency allergy kit 100 comprises and adhesive backing as described above.

In other aspects of the sleeve 10 or emergency allergy kit 100, the open top end may closed off by an extended flap of fabric securing the devices or objects in place. The flap may be secured by any common means such as a hook and latch fastener like VELCRO, the flap may be tucked into the open end or security member 11, or the open ends may be secured by zippers.

In another aspect, the adhesive is replaced with magnets, a hook and latch fastener like VELCRO, or snaps.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the aforementioned description of the invention has been made with reference to a certain exemplary embodiment of the invention, which describe a universal object holder. Those of skill in the art will understand that obvious variations in construction, material, dimensions or properties may be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A universal device holder comprising an elongated sleeve having a top open end, a bottom closed end, a first closed side, a second closed side opposite the first closed side, and an adhesive backing on a mounting surface.

2. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises a flexible material configured to stretch to accommodate a cylindrical device.

3. The universal device holder of claim 2 wherein the sleeve comprises silicone and is configured to secure the cylindrical device through a frictional fit.

4. The universal device holder of claim 1 further comprising a security member disposed towards the top open end configured to secure a cylindrical device through a compression or frictional fit.

5. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the top open end is secured by an additional flap extending from the top open end configured to fold over the top open end or tuck into the top open end.

6. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein a back portion of the sleeve extends above the top open end.

7. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing is configured to adhere to plastic or vinyl.

8. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing is configured to adhere to a flat surface.

9. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the mounting surface comprises an extended perimeter beyond at least two of the top open end, first closed side, second closed side, and bottom closed end, the extended perimeter of the mounting surface configured to flex to mount to a curved surface.

10. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the elongated sleeve has a length and width configured to accommodate a vapor pen, EPIPEN, lip gloss, lipstick, or an inhaler.

11. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises a heat or oil resistant material.

12. The universal device holder of claim 1 comprising an extended front surface wherein having at least one additional pocket or elongated sleeve.

13. The universal device holder of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing is magnetic or adhesive.

14. A holder for cylindrical cosmetic containers comprising: a sleeve having a length and a width, the sleeve having an open top, a closed bottom, and closed sidewalls, the length sufficiently long enough to accommodate a major portion of the length of the cylindrical cosmetic container and the width only wide enough to receive the cosmetic container in secure engagement, and a back having an adhesive suitable for securely attaching the sleeve to a flat surface.