AU2021101609A4

AU2021101609A4 - Lip balm holder

Info

Publication number: AU2021101609A4
Application number: AU2021101609A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Colby S. Bauer; Dillon M. Boyes
Original assignee: Thread Wallets LLC
Current assignee: Thread Wallets LLC
Priority date: 2021-03-29
Filing date: 2021-03-29
Publication date: 2021-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-29

Abstract

OF THE DISCLOSURE A personal accessory holder, such as a holder for lip balm, or other personal cosmetic can include a flexible textile fabric having stitched together seams to form a flexible tube. The personal accessory holder can further include a key ring attachment interface sewn therein, as well as a secondary material space for displaying visible indicia. Docket No. 22075.46c 1/4 'I 100 I I, o FIG. I

Description

1/4

'I 100

I I, o

FIG. I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to cosmetics holders.

2. Background and Relevant Art

[0002] The discussion of the background to the invention that follows is intended to

facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion

is not an acknowledgement or admission that any aspect of the discussion was part of the common

general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.

[00031 Personal medicaments and cosmetics are often small, and easy to misplace. For

example, a tube of lip balm is approximately the size of a human finger, and weighs only a couple

of ounces. The small size and weight makes lip balm in its various forms a popular medicament

carried around, particularly in dryer climates. Its small size and weight also makes lip balm easy

to lose. While lip balm may be easy to replace when lost due to its typically marginal cost, other

accessories of similar size, dimension, and weight, may be more expensive. Consequently,

manufacturers have produced a number of holders to tote lip balm (or lip stick, etc.) in an easy to

access manner.

[0004] Typical tube-style holders for such personal accessories (i.e.,

medicaments/cosmetics) need to be flexible enough to fit a variety of sizes and dimensions, while

at the same time easy enough to attach to a larger personal element, such as a key ring.

Unfortunately, conventional tube holders tend to have odd shapes that themselves are difficult to

manufacture, or otherwise add unnecessary bulk to the personal accessory. Alternatively, in an effort to ease attachment, conventional tube holders tend to employ carabiner-style attachments, which also unnecessarily add bulk and cost to the tube holder.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is an attempt to solve these and other problems in the art with

a light weight, textile-based tube holder. The tube holder comprises a simple design of a square

or rectangular textile or other suitably flexible materials, sewn along opposing edges thereof. The

textile is further configured with an attachment portion, into which a traditional key ring can be

rotated and attached.

[0006] Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description which follows,

and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice. The features and

advantages may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations

particularly pointed out in the appended claims and aspects. These and other features will become

more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the

practice of the examples as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0007] In order to describe the manner in which the above recited and other advantages and

features can be obtained, a more particular description briefly described above will be rendered by

reference to specific examples thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

Understanding that these drawings are merely illustrative and are not therefore to be considered to

be limiting of its scope, the computer system for dynamically parsing a digital image to identify

2 Docket No. 22075.46c coating colors will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a top, facing, right perspective view of a personal accessory holder, shown

in an exemplary use environment;

[0009] Figure 2 is a top, facing, right perspective view thereof;

[0010] Figure 3 is an elevated facing view thereof;

[0011] Figure 4 is an elevated rear view thereof;

[0012] Figure 5 is a top, plan view thereof;

[0013] Figure 6 is a bottom, plan view thereof;

[0014] Figure 7 is an elevated right side view thereof; and

[0015] Figure 8 is an elevated left side view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present invention provides novel systems, methods, and materials for manufacture

of a personal accessory holder that is both flexible and lightweight. Moreover, the present

invention comprises at least one key ring attachment interface for attachment to another key ring,

or a snap/close style connector, such as a carabiner-style attachment. The illustrated and described

personal accessory holder is simple to manufacture, small, light-weight, easy to store, inexpensive,

and has broad utility.

[0017] Figure 1 is a top, facing, right perspective view of a personal accessory holder 100,

(also referred to herein as "lip balm holder") shown in an exemplary use environment. Figure 1

illustrates further illustrates that the lip balm holder provides a shaft 105 that can flexibly fit at

least the standard sized lip balm, shown in dotted lines, and can further comprise a secondary

3 Docket No. 22075.46c material location 110 (or secondary space) for branding at the bottom. Figure 1 further shows that the lip balm holder 100 is sized and shaped to enable access to the traditional twist portion of the lip balm (or similarly shaped accessory) beneath the holder, as well as access to the application portion (top) part without removal from of the lip balm from the sleeve/shaft 105.

[0018] Figure 2 is a top, facing, right perspective view of the lip balm holder in isolation. As

shown, the lip balm holder 100 can be made from a folded, stitched together fabric, bonded at the

stitch interface 200. The fabric can comprise any number of textiles, including nylon webbing,

cotton, polyester, and stretchable materials such as spandex, and combinations thereof. The key

ring 115 attachment interface 120 may comprise one or more of the same materials, and can be

sewn directly into the location of the fabric stich line 200. In one implementation, the fabric

comprises a size of between about 3cm (1.18 in) to about 7cm (2.75 in), or about 5cm (1.96 to 2

in) in height, and about 5 cm (approx. 2 in) to about 10 cm (3.94 to about 2 in) in width, or about

7.5cm (or about 7.54cm, i.e., approx. 3 in). After stitching along edge line 200, the finished version

(e.g., Figures 1, 2) provides a shaft/tube 105 with about 1.5-4 cm (.4 to 1.57 in) in width, or about

2.5cm (.98 in), with the same height of about 5 cm (1.96 in - 2 in).

[0019] The key ring 115 shown in the Figures can comprise any shape or style of key ring. In

one embodiment, the key ring 115 comprises a flat iron key ring, which is suitable to be attached

to any other looped structures, including the interface 120, as well as other lanyards, key chains,

wallets, or the like. The metal key ring, in particular, allows the personal accessory holder 100 to

have a more permanent attachment, and an attachment that is less bulky, with a tighter fit than

conventional personal accessory holders. In one embodiment, the key ring loop (or attachment

interface 120) comprises a woven polyester. The key ring loop (or ring accessory fabric) can

comprise a height of between.5 cm (.196 in) to about 1.5 cm (.59 in), or 1 cm (.39 in), and a width

4 Docket No. 22075.46c of 3 cm (1.18 in) to about 4 cm (1.57 in), or about 3.6 cm (1.4 in). The ring accessory fabric is, as discussed herein, folded to create a loop structure (i.e., structure 120), and then sewn into the stitch interface 200.

[0020] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate elevated facing and rear views of the personal accessory

holder 100. Figure 3 further shows that the personal accessory holder 100 can comprised a

secondary material location 110, such as may be used for branding. The secondary material 110

may comprise a similar textile to that used to create the personal holder, or may comprise different

material, such as a more rigid material, such as leather, false leather, rubber, silicon, polyester, or

metallic materials.

[0021] Figure 5 is a top, plan view thereof of the personal accessory component, while Figure

6 is a bottom, plan view thereof. Figures 7 and 8 are elevated right side and left side views thereof.

Dotted lines of equal length shown in the Figures represent stitching, whereas dotted lines of

alternating long and short dashes represent environmental subject matter.

[0022] Accordingly, at least one aspect of the present invention can comprise the following.

[0023] 1. A flexible, personal accessory holder comprising:

a flexible textile material having a length of between 1 to 3 inches in height, and 1

3 inches in width, wherein the flexible textile material has been folded joined at

corresponding left and right ends thereof, and folded inward to create an inwardly folded

seam, wherein the folded, joined textile material forms a hollow, flexible tube having a

bottom portion, a top portion, an inner surface, and an outer surface;

a ring accessory fabric joined to and stitched within the folded seam;

stitching from a top of the hollow, flexible tube to the bottom along the inwardly

folded seam;

5 Docket No. 22075.46c a ring joined to the ring accessory fabric; and a secondary textile attached to an outer surface of the flexible, hollow tube, wherein the secondary material provides a secondary space capable of receiving one or more visible indicium; wherein the hollow, flexible tube is configured in size and shape to flexibly envelope and snap-to-fit a standard-sized personal accessory tube consisting of one of a tube of lip balm or a tube of cosmetic, such that the personal accessory tube is snugly fit within the inner surface of the flexible tube, and accessible beneath a bottom portion of the flexible tube and above a top portion of the flexible tube.

[0024] 2. The flexible, personal accessory holder as recited in aspect 1, wherein the

flexible tube comprises a flexible webbed nylon material, and the secondary material comprises a

rubber or silicon material.

[0025] 3. The flexible, personal accessory holder as recited in aspect 1 or 2, wherein

the flexible tube comprises a flexible cotton, polyester, an expandible textile, elastic, metallic

fabric, or combinations thereof.

[0026] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural

features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the

appended claims is not necessarily limited to the described features or acts described above, or the

order of the acts described above. Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as example

forms of implementing the claims.

[0027] Where any or all of the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising"

are used in this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as specifying the

6 Docket No. 22075.46c presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

7 Docket No. 22075.46c

Claims

CLAIMS We claim: 1. A flexible, personal accessory holder comprising: a flexible textile material having a length of between 1 to 3 inches in height, and 1 3 inches in width, wherein the flexible textile material has been folded joined at corresponding left and right ends thereof, and folded inward to create an inwardly folded seam, wherein the folded, joined textile material forms a hollow, flexible tube having a bottom portion, a top portion, an inner surface, and an outer surface;

a ring accessory fabric joined to and stitched within the folded seam;

stitching from a top of the hollow, flexible tube to the bottom along the inwardly folded seam;

a ring joined to the ring accessory fabric; and

a secondary textile attached to an outer surface of the flexible, hollow tube, wherein the secondary material provides a secondary space capable of receiving one or more visible indicium;

wherein the hollow, flexible tube is configured in size and shape to flexibly envelope and snap-to-fit a standard-sized personal accessory tube consisting of one of a tube of lip balm or a tube of cosmetic, such that the personal accessory tube is snugly fit within the inner surface of the flexible tube, and accessible beneath a bottom portion of the flexible tube and above a top portion of the flexible tube.

2. The flexible, personal accessory holder as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible tube comprises a flexible webbed nylon material, and the secondary material comprises a rubber or silicon material.

3. The flexible, personal accessory holder as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible tube comprises a flexible cotton, polyester, an expandible textile, elastic, metallic fabric, or combinations thereof.

8 Docket No. 22075.46c