U.S. patent application number 10/613756 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for device for suspending objects.
Invention is credited to Waterman, Marco Constantino.
Application Number | 20040094682 10/613756 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19772766 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040094682 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Waterman, Marco
Constantino |
May 20, 2004 |
Device for suspending objects
Abstract
A device for hanging up objects such as towels. The device
comprises at least two partially overlapping and substantially
parallel elements, which are movable with respect to each other in
a resilient way, wherein the resiliency is provided by an intrinsic
property of the material of the device, such that the object is
held between the elements. One of the elements is provided on its
side which is facing towards the other elements with a thickening,
the first element extends upwardly, and the end of the first
element is positioned a short distance from the upper rim of the
device.
Inventors: |
Waterman, Marco Constantino;
(Almere, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PEACOCK MYERS AND ADAMS P C
P O BOX 26927
ALBUQUERQUE
NM
871256927
|
Family ID: |
19772766 |
Appl. No.: |
10/613756 |
Filed: |
July 17, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10613756 |
Jul 17, 2003 |
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PCT/NL02/00047 |
Jan 22, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/309.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 10/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/309.1 |
International
Class: |
A47F 005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 22, 2001 |
NL |
NL 1017157 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for hanging up an object, comprising two at least
partially overlapping and substantially parallel elements which are
movable with respect to each other, wherein spring force is
provided by an intrinsic property of a material of the device such
that the object is held between the elements, wherein one of the
elements is at its surface facing the other element provided with a
thickening, wherein the first element extends upwardly, and wherein
the end of the first element is positioned at a short distance from
a top rim of the device.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the material comprises a
resilient plastics material.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the parallel elements are
flat.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a
spring element which clamps to the object to be hung between the
parallel elements.
5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the parallel elements are
each connected to a third element, said third element is provided
at a side of the first parallel element that faces away from the
second parallel element or at the side of the second parallel
element that faces away from the first parallel element.
6. A device according to claim 1, wherein during use a surface of
the third element facing away from the parallel elements is a
fastening surface; wherein the first parallel element along a
bottom rim is attached to the third element and extends upwardly;
and wherein the second parallel element along the top rim is
attached to the third element and extends downwardly, substantially
parallel to the first parallel element.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the first parallel
element along the bottom rim is attached pivotably and resiliently,
and the second parallel element is attached along the top rim
pivotably and resiliently.
8. A device according to claim 5, wherein with respect to the third
element, the one of the parallel elements which is positioned
outwardly is bent at its free end outwardly.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a device for hanging up objects in
accordance with claim 1. More particularly, the invention relates
to a device for hanging up towels and the like.
[0002] Such devices are known in practise for hanging up towels,
for example for use in the kitchen. These comprise in general a
hook, on which by means of a hanger provided at one side a towel
can be hung up. The drawback with this is that first the hanger has
to be found and which hanger can during use easily slide off the
hook. Subsequently the whole procedure of finding the hanger and
hanging the towel up again has to be repeated. In practise this has
been shown to be an awkward method. This method has the additional
drawback that after frequent use, the loop will wear and tear, so
that the towel can no longer be hung up. There are also clamping
devices, which by means of a tension spring are forced into a
closed position, and from which, for example, towels and the like
for use in the kitchen may be hung. The drawback with these is that
one hand is needed for opening the clamping device against the
tension of the spring and simultaneously the other hand is needed
for inserting a portion of the towel between the clamping elements
of this device. This, too, is an awkward method, because especially
towels and the like will simply sink making it difficult to insert
them into the clamping device. Another drawback is the fact that
after some time the tension springs will weaken, rendering the
device useless.
[0003] Therefore a need exists for an improved device that does not
exhibit the above-mentioned drawbacks. It is an object of the
invention therefore, to provide an improved device for hanging up
objets, such as towels and like. A more particular object of the
invention is to provide an improved device allowing an object to be
gripped in a very simple manner without being able to dislodge. To
this end the invention provides a device as mentioned in the
preamble, possessing the features according to the characterizing
part of claim 1. This provides a very simple manner for hanging up
an object.
[0004] According to the preferred embodiment, the device is
produced from a resilient plastic material. This is a simple and
economical way of obtaining the device and which possesses the
desired properties.
[0005] According to another preferred embodiment, the elements are
flat. This provides a relatively large contact surface so that each
object can be hung firmly between the elements.
[0006] According to a further embodiment of the invention, one of
the elements, on a part of the surface facing the other element is
provided with a thickening. This creates an extra pressure point
when an object is inserted between the elements. Especially in the
case of a towel, this causes the hem of the towel to catch behind
the thickening.
[0007] According to a further particular preferred embodiment, the
first and the second element are each connected to a third element.
The third element may be at a distance, but aligned with and
parallel to the other two elements, for example, at the side of the
first element that faces away from the second element. At its
surface facing away from the first and second element, the third
element then preferably forms a fastening surface. By means of, for
example, an adhesive the device may be attached to a wall, for
example, but other means of fastening are also possible. It is
further preferred for the first element to be fastened to the third
element along a bottom rim and to extend from there upward, and for
the second element to be fastened to the third element along a top
rim and to extend from there downward, substantially parallel to
the first element. Since both the first and the second element are
positioned at a distance from the third element, the inner element
can be pressed slightly inward and the outer element can be pressed
slightly outward when a towel or the like is clamped between the
two elements. It is particularly preferable for the outermost
element to be bent outward at its free end. This makes it
especially easy to insert an object between those two elements in
order to hang the same up.
[0008] The invention will now be further elucidated with reference
to the drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the
invention.
[0010] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show different stages during using the
device according to the invention.
[0011] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a cross-section of an alternative
embodiment of the device according to the invention.
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for hanging up objects. The device
represented in the figure comprises a first element 2 and a second
element 3. As shown in the figure, these two elements are disposed
substantially parallel to one another. The distance between the two
elements 2, 3, in the resting position will depend on an object to
be hung up and to be clamped between the two elements, as well as
on the material from which the device is manufactured. Also of
importance is the force required to force the elements apart. The
distance between the two elements 2, 3 is preferably such that the
two elements have to be at least slightly forced apart to allow the
insertion of an object.
[0013] The device is preferably made from plastic. This allows the
device to be very light while its production is also simple. An
example of a plastic material that can conveniently be used is
so-called plexiglas. This material is available in a form that,
subject to thickness, a towel can easily be inserted between the
two elements 2, 3 so that the same is clamped firmly between the
two elements. In that case the material may have a thickness of,
for example, 2 to 3 mm, and the breadth of the elements may be, for
example, 25 mm. The height may be chosen as desired, but in any
case, the force with which an object is clamped between the two
elements must be sufficiently great. In practise, the required
force and the size of the device can be established easily.
[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, one of the elements 2
or 3 is at its surface facing the other element 3 or 2,
respectively, provided with a thickening. This thickening 4 may be
provided, for example, on the inside element 2 shown in the figure,
but also as shown in FIG. 5 at the inside of the outer element
3.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, a further preferred embodiment is
obtained when at the position of the thickening 4 the adjacent
element, element 2 in FIG. 5, is provided with a hollowing or an
opening. When an object, for example, a towel is inserted into the
opening 10 between the elements 2, 3, and pushed abut, the elements
2 and 3 will be forced apart. In the case of a flexible material
such as a towel, its hem will be allowed to be guided past the
thickening 4, and released. The thickening 4 will then slightly
push the object to be hung up into the opening 11 so that the same
due to the resilience of the material will remain hanging. Due to
the proper choosing of the resting position of the elements 2 and 3
in relation to one another the material will be allowed to be
removed just as easily by pulling the object downward. This will
cause the elements 2 and 3 to be forced apart slightly.
[0016] If the two elements 2 and 3 are attached to the third
element 5 as shown in the FIGS. 1 and 5, the two elements 2, 3,
when in use, will be at a distance from a wall. This is because the
surface 6 of the device 1 is to be fastened to the wall. When, as
represented in FIG. 2, a towel is inserted into the opening 10, the
fingers will therefore not touch the wall. In this way hanging up
the towel is facilitated.
[0017] Usually a towel is provided with a hem around its edge.
Especially when the device comprises a thickening 4, as shown in
FIG. 5, a hem will be inserted to above the thickening 4. When
subsequently letting go of the towel, the same will, due to the
weight of the material of the towel, hang downward causing the hem
to slightly curl downward around the thickening 4. This causes an
extra resistance which ensures that the towel will remain hanging
in the device. This is clearly shown in FIG. 3.
[0018] In the embodiment represented in FIG. 5, the element 2 is
connected with the third element 5 by means of a bottom rim 7, and
the element 3 is connected with the third element 5 by means of a
top rim 8. It can also be clearly seen that the end 2' of the
element 2 is very closely disposed to the top rim 8. The advantage
of this is that an object to be hung up and to be inserted between
the elements 2, 3, for example, a towel will not be caught in the
gap formed by the element 2 and the top rim 8. This would impede
the removal of the object from the device. Advantageously the space
between the end 2' and the top rim 8 is smaller than the thickness
of the object. If a towel is being hung up, the distance will
therefore have to be smaller than the thickness of the hem of the
towel.
[0019] If the towel or any other object has to be removed from the
device, this may be done in a manner represented in FIG. 4. Pulling
the towel downward will cause the element 3 to be forced slightly
outward and the element 2 slightly inward. Depending on the
material from which the device is manufactured, the force to be
exerted may be relatively limited.
[0020] If the device is made from plexiglas, the material having a
thickness of approximately 3 mm, the device having a breadth of the
above mentioned 25 mm, the pulling force for removing an object
from the device will be approximately 1 kg. Depending on the object
to be hung up, the force can be simply adjusted by varying the
distance between the elements 2 and 3. If in a starting position
this distance is 1 mm, the clamping force for an object to be hung
will be greater than if this distance in a resting position is 3
mm. The presence of thickening 4 will also result in an increased
clamping force. Of course, the type of material used is also of
importance.
[0021] By bending the outer element at its free end 9 slightly
outward an easy opening is created for the object to be hung
up.
[0022] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, an
object to be hung up is clamped between two elements, wherein one
of the elements is pressed on by means of a spring element. This
embodiment is shown in FIG. 6. By means of a spring element 12 a
spherical element 2 is pressed towards element 3. An object to be
inserted between the elements 2 and 3 pushes element 2 against the
spring action and away from element 3. When letting go of the
object to be hung up, the spring action causes the element 2 to
push sufficiently hard against the object preventing it from
falling out of the device. The element 5 is detachably connected
with the elements 2 and 3, for example, by means of a stop catch in
the form of coupling means 13.
[0023] The invention is not limited to the representations in the
drawings and in the specification. For example, any suitable
material may be used, for example, practically any kind of plastic,
as well as metal or even wood, or plastics-coated metal (e.g.
spring steal). Another possibility is that in the resting position
the elements 2 and 3 rest against one another. It is also possible
that the distance between the elements 2 and 3 in the resting
position is not everywhere the same. For example, somewhere between
the top rim 8 and the free end 9 the distance may have minimum
value as shown in FIG. 1. The thickening may be provided near this
minimal distance. This creates an extra space above the thickening
for the accommodation of the hem of a towel.
[0024] The device may be used for hanging up other materials apart
from towels, for example advertising posters and posters containing
other communications.
[0025] Due to the fact that both elements in the embodiments shown
in the figures are springy, a linear exertion of forces is obtained
even if materials of different thicknesses are to be hung up by the
device. Moreover, in such an embodiment the two elements hinge over
a relatively small distance so that material fatigue will develop
less quickly.
[0026] The invention thus provides a very simple device for hanging
up, for example, towels without the necessity to find a hanger but
where each of the edges of a towel may be used for hanging the same
up.
* * * * *