EP2354383A2

EP2354383A2 - Towel holding device

Info

Publication number: EP2354383A2
Application number: EP10382026A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Pietro Burello
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-02-04
Filing date: 2010-02-05
Publication date: 2011-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-05
Also published as: ES1071811U; HRP20150036T1; PT2354383E; ES2527465T3; EP2354383B1; ES1071811Y; EP2354383A3

Abstract

The device is a type of clip (1) comprised of two plates (3 and 4) shaped as a polygon and attached to each other via one of its edges forming a hinge (5) between them; the plate (3) has a lateral extension (7) with an orifice (8) so that a ground driving rod (9) can pass through it and using several devices or clips (1) driven into the ground and holding a towel via the edges of the plates (3 and 4) and therefore at the beach, in a park, yard, etc., the towel (2) is perfectly held and extended in that position without worrying about the wind carrying it away or retracting from its extended position. Plates (3 and 4) are maintained in the closed position and therefore hold the towel (2) via complementary locking elements (11 and 12) that are located on plates (3 and 4).

Description

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a towel or beach wrap holding device for the specific purpose of holding and maintaining a towel extended on the ground. This device is especially applicable for maintaining a beach towel extended, which is logically laid over sand, at the park or any other place the user wishes to lay the towel without worrying about the towel folding on itself as frequently occurs.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a device that in addition to offering a great beach towel extending performance on the ground it minimizes the risk of accident caused by bare foot contact with the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fact is that towels laid over beach sand for users to rest upon are sometimes retracted by the wind or by bumping in to them or by the users own movements and therefore, preventing them from remaining completely extended, which causes an inconvenience for the user; this can also occur when extending towels in parks, pools, etc.
Additionally, when it's windy and a towel is left alone, the best case scenario is that the towel will probably fold or be blown from its location.
To solve this problem, Spanish Utility Module U 8901765 describes a towel holder obtained from a single plastic piece delimited by two articulated lever arms, which comprises two clamps with a spring in-line with the arms of each clamp, which is used for maintaining it closed and applying pressure to the towel that wants to be held. The clamp is complemented by an elongated round rod that is pointed at one of its ends so that can be driven into the ground at the beach or grass wherever the towel is going to be laid in such a way, so that using several holding devices like the one described, a towel can be maintained extended even when a person is not laying on top of it, remaining in that position even when the user moves, it is windy, etc.
The disadvantage of this device is that the holding elements that make up the clamps extent over the sand or grass and since they are rigid, may present a tripping hazard and cause undesired accidents, which occurs frequently due to the fact that beach and pool users are usually barefoot.
On the other hand, the fixing of the towel is not as efficient as would be desired because the holding elements or clamps are opened quickly and easily when the spring tension is overpowered, which may occur inadvertently by accident due to multiple reasons. Also, a round shaped rod does not guarantee a good hold in the sand.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device that is recommended has been designed to solve the above mentioned problem in a way that provided with the means for holding and maintaining a towel extended in its laying place, and based on an element or rod driven into the ground and a holding element for the corners and edges of the towel, presents the particularity that the holding or tensioning elements, instead of being comprised of simple clamps aided by tension springs, are comprised in each case of a clip delimited by two plates shaped like a trapezoid or other shape associated in an articulated way through one of its edges, whose plates incorporate alternate means for fastening comprised of a thin fin from one of the plates; specifically one of its free ends opposite the hinges, whose fin incorporates a pair of teeth or protrusions between which a sort of protruding heel is fastened that has the other plate on one of its edges and in this way providing a means for interlocking the closure and overlapping of both plates for holding one of the towel corners or edges; with the particularity that its rough facing side incorporates convex protrusions and the other plate incorporates concave indentations that facilitate fastening the towel without damaging it.
One of the two plates that make up the holding device; specifically the one opposite the one that has the interlocking fin, has a lateral extension forming an orifice so that the corresponding rod can pass through it and be driven into the ground.
Finally say that the two position interlock fin constitutes a sort of lever whose final section is dedicated for the locking and unlocking movement with respect to the heel or protrusion present in the other plate.
This way, a device is achieved that in combination with 3 other analogous devices, enables to hold and maintain the towel extended on the ground with the particularity that since it is comprised of two plates that overlap in the closed position, these constitute a completely flat surface that does not protrude upward from the ground, which will limit any damage that may occur even when bare feet impact the device since this is not a device that has protruding edges as occurs with conventional devices.
Additionally, the fastening effect is more reliable than in the Utility Model referred to in the Background section because faced with an opening that is involuntary and without much resistance and since it has the spring, can be carried out in the aforementioned towel holder Model. Regarding the invention, to open the clip requires it be performed manually, which grants greater fastening security or a greater fastening effect is in this way provided by the invention. We must also highlight that the cross shaped rod provides greater fastening in sand than a round rod.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description that is going to be provided below, and for the purpose of better understanding the characteristics of this invention, in accordance with a preferred practical embodiment, a set of drawings are provided along with the description as an integral part of the description, which represents the following in an illustrative but not limiting fashion:

Figure 1. - Shows a perspective view of the invention device with the clip in the open position.
Figure 2. - Shows a perspective view of the locking mechanism of the two plates that make up the clip corresponding to the invention fastening device.
Figure 3. - Shows a perspective view of the fastening clip in the open position without a ground fixing rod, with a towel corner in position for being held with the corresponding clip closure.
Figure 4. - Shows the exact way to fasten the corner of the towel using the clip in the closed position and a perspective view of the ground driving rod in a position facing the orifice made in one of the fastening clip plates.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in the referred figures, this invention's device constitutes a holder for maintaining a towel extended at its laying place, which can be a beach towel, a pool towel, or any other type of blanket or beach wrap used at any area where the user wishes to lay upon.
In any case, the device in question is comprised of a clip (1), which holds a corner or edge of the corresponding towel (2), as can be seen in figures 3 and 4, for which several devices are required such as the one that is going to be described, for holding and maintaining the towel (2) extended.
This clip (1) is comprised of two plates (3 and 4), attached to each other via a hinge (5) which corresponds to one of its edges, since these plates are polygonal shaped, without discarding any geometric configuration for them as long as both are flat and incorporate protrusions or appendices (6) so that when they are overlapped, the towel (2) remains perfectly held by the clip (1) and its protrusions (6):

One of the two plates that make up the clip (1), specifically number (3) incorporates an extension (7) with an orifice (8) used for inserting a cross-section rod (9) and a head (10) used as a stop and has a convex curved surface.

When the rod (9) passes through the orifice (8) of the clip (1) plate (3), the device can be driven into the ground and maintained at ground surface level while holding a towel (2) for example, as can be seen in figure 4 without any part of the device extending above ground and in this way preventing any type of accident caused by tripping over or stepping on the device; the body of the device is flat when being used since the rod (9) is inserted below the ground.
The clip (1) closure and securing said closure is carried out through the lateral fin (11) used as a closing lever that emerges from one of the edges of the plate (4), complemented by a heel (12) that emerges from the corresponding edge of the other plate, in this case plate (3), so that when both plates are overlapped (3 and 4) and with the corner or edge of the towel (2) between them, the lever or fin (11) and heel (12) can be meshed or closed together; for this purpose, the fin or lever (11) incorporates a pair of teeth or protrusions (13), in between which the heel (12) remains interlocked.
The described device is easy to use since first off and with complete comfort, one of the towel (2) edges or comes are pinched between the two plates (3 and 4) of the clip (1), maintaining the fastening by interlock between the fin or lever (11) and the heel (12) of both plates (3 and 4) and once the fastening is carried out, it is laid on the ground and the rod (9) is then driven into the ground after inserting it through the orifice (8) of the lateral extension (7) of the lower plate (3) as can be seen in figure 4; this leaves the towel (2) perfectly held and extended with the aid of several devices as the one described, which as can be observed is carried out easily, quickly and comfortably while achieving a good fastening efficiency since the clip (1) closure is maintained, unless it is manually and intentionally released, with the added advantage that it does not suppose a tripping hazard or a means for producing injury due to stepping or tripping over it with bare feet since the device has a flat body which prevents any such type of accident.
Due to its design, small size and weight, it does not require disassembling of the towel clip for storage (keep the towel in a bag, etc.)
Likewise, we must highlight the fact that the described fastening system is perfectly valid for different towel, blanket or beach wrap thicknesses.

Claims

^st.- Towel holder device that in conjunction with others, can hold and maintain a towel extended on the ground with the aid of a towel edge or corner holding element and a ground driving rod attached to that holding device, characterized in that the holding element is comprised of a clip (1) delimited by two polygon shaped plates (3 and 4) attached to each other via a hinge (5) at one of their edges and between both plates (3 and 4) to enable opening or overlapping them and enabling it to hold a towel or other type of blanket/beach wrap (2) between them with the particularity that one of the plates (3) incorporates a lateral extension (7) with orifice (8) so that the ground driving rod (9) can pass through it, while another of the plate edges has a complementary locking device for maintaining it closed thus holding the towel (2).
^nd. - Towel holding device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the locking of both holding clip (1) plates is achieved via a fin (11) located on one of the edges of one of the plates and two protrusions (13) while the corresponding edge of the opposite plate (4) incorporates a heel (12) that is arranged and locked between the two protrusions (13) of the fin (11) in the closed position with the two plates overlapped (3 and 4).
^rd. - Towel holding device in accordance with the aforementioned claims, characterized in that the ground driving rod (9) has a cross-section for optimizing the closure.
^th. - Towel holding device in accordance with the aforementioned claims, characterized in that plate (3) has protrusions (6) on its rough side and plate (4) has a corresponding indentation that enhances the fastening of their respective towel (2) edges or corners.
^th. - Towel holding device in accordance with the aforementioned claims, characterized in that plates (3 and 4) are flat and in the closed position comprise a flat thin body superimposed on the ground.