Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Clasp – clip – support-clamp – or required component thereof – Including pivoted gripping member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2002-06-18
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof
Including pivoted gripping member
C024S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405415
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to clips for holding towels, and, in particular, to a towel clip for holding overlapping towel ends in place on the body of a user during normal activities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bathers and swimmers oftentimes prefer to wrap themselves in a beach or bath towel for periods after swimming or bathing. During such time, they carry on related activities which have a tendency to loosen the towel resulting in slipping and/or separation. Conventional practice is to wrap the free ends of the towel in an overlapping fashion. However, inasmuch as such towels are generally larger than regular towels, the extra towel weight from the absorbed moisture tends to loosen the connection such that the same must be retightened from time to time. Moreover, normal activity creates horizontal separation forces on the folded towel also requiring requiring retightening. At the present time there are not commercially available clips for maintaining beach and bath towels securely about the wearer.
Many approaches have been taken for freely hanging smaller towels of differing shapes and sizes from various articles such as chairs, cabinets, golf bags and a variety of outdoor sporting and recreational equipment. In such applications, the clips are useful for holding the towel for their intended cleaning purposes. Generally, the towel clip need only support the towel weight during storage inasmuch as the towel is released from the clip for utilitarian use. Where greater permanence of position is desired, eyelets and other permanent fasteners have been used thereby requiring a dedicated clip and towel assembly.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. D315,675 discloses a one piece clip for holding a hanging towel when mounted on a surface. No provisions are made for clamping overlapping towel ends about the user with sufficient strength to resist separation. A similar light-weight one piece construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D298,711.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,581 to Dala et al. discloses a ring shaped clip for retaining a towel on a beach chair or the like. The clip uses interengaging balls to resist sliding of the freely hanging towel.
In the foregoing approaches, the unique and particular needs for securing a beach or bath towel in place on a user after bathing or swimming are not adequately addressed. Therein the towels are substantially greater in size and weight posing a weight separation problems, which is accentuated when the towels have absorbed substantial moisture. Further, normal body movements by the wearer generate substantial horizontal separation forces. Accordingly, the prior proposed clips and assemblies are not well adapted for resisting separation of the wrapped towel during normal movements. Further, separation forces are transmitted directly to a hinge connection which is oftentimes a lightweight plastic construction, that is prone to separation and breakage. Therefor, a need continues to exist for a towel clip that can be used secure in place overlapping towel ends in wrapped configuration on the body of the user and resists, during normal movement and activities, separation of the towel from the clop due to towel weight and body motion. Moreover, such a towel clip should accommodate towel sizes, designs, and fabrics selected by the wearer, present a clip design and configuration artistically harmonious with the setting, and resist degradation over long periods of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a body towel clip for securely maintaining on the torso of the user overlapping towel ends. Therein, the body towel clip comprises pivotally connected upper and lower clamp members having barbed jaws that penetrate the overlapping towel plies in the clamped position to secure the plies against vertical and horizontal separation. The barbs of the jaws additionally interengage such that towel weight and activity movements are borne directly at the clamping interface and not transmitted to the pivotal connection. The individual barbs are also configured to permit easy release of the clip from the towel after use. The towel clip construction is amenable to many artistic treatments suitable for the public or private usage thereof.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a towel clip for securely wrapping a body towel about a torso.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a towel clip that resists towel weight and body movement forces in maintaining a wrapped towel in desired conformance with the user.
A further object of the invention is to provide a body towel clip that is decorative in appearance, lightweight and rugged while resisting separation in use.
A still further object of the invention is to provide towel body clip having a clamping interface that securely captures overlapping towel plies and resists separation and damage to the clip hinge while being easily disengaged after use.
REFERENCES:
patent: 749663 (1904-01-01), De Lamater
patent: 1115118 (1914-10-01), Sitz
patent: 1358560 (1920-11-01), Kennison
patent: 1638979 (1927-08-01), Broking
patent: 1946561 (1934-02-01), Widerman
patent: 2352147 (1944-06-01), Clark
patent: 2837806 (1958-06-01), Hawie
patent: 2927359 (1960-03-01), Thomas, Jr.
patent: 2960737 (1960-11-01), Kirsch et al.
patent: 3531835 (1970-10-01), Paikin
patent: 3704469 (1972-12-01), Levy
patent: 3922763 (1975-12-01), Buerger
patent: 4145793 (1979-03-01), Berlet
patent: 4463482 (1984-08-01), Hawie
patent: 4489466 (1984-12-01), Bakker
patent: 5148581 (1992-09-01), Hartmann
patent: 5363538 (1994-11-01), Arrendiell et al.
Brittain James R.
Mills Law Firm PLLC
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