US20030053721A1

US20030053721A1 - Organizer for remote controls

Info

Publication number: US20030053721A1
Application number: US09/956,306
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Goldman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-19
Filing date: 2001-09-19
Publication date: 2003-03-20

Abstract

A novel organizer for remote control units is provided. The organizer is made up of a series of segments which have pockets for storage of the remote control units. Each pocket is created through coupling of the support member with a cover member. In a preferred embodiment, the cover member is transparent and flexible thus allowing a user to operated the remote control units while they are stored within the organizer. The organizer also has a capability to be stacked-up or rolled-up in a convenient and space saving configuration suitable for storage.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an organizer for remote controls that allows a user to store a number of remote controls and use said remote controls without removing them from the organizer.

Remote controls were invented to add convenience in operation of various devices by allowing for remote operation of those devices. The user need not be in the immediate vicinity of a device in order to operate it. However, as functional and beneficial as remote controls are, their relative small size makes them prone to misplacement. Displaced remote controls could also easily get in the way and become damaged when someone sits or steps on them. Furthermore, the more devices an individual person has, the more remote controls that individual will need to operate all of their various devices. Therefore, there exists a problem of how to keep track of the numerous remote controls since they are easily lost or broken and also since their numbers could grow to the point of being unmanageable. For example, a person having a television, a cable box, a VCR, a stereo system and a DVD player might have five or six remote controls in their living room. Those remote controls could clutter a living room or coffee table or even get lost under couches or chairs. In an ordinary room, a suitable container does not exist that would adequately organize numerous remote controls and also protect against breakage and misplacement.

What is needed is a simple, easy to use organizer for remote controls that would allow an individual to not only retain all remote controls in a centralized location, but also allow the individual to use the remote controls while the controls are in the organizer. Possessing the capability to operate any individual remote control, while it is stored in its organizer, serves a purpose of not taking a chance that the remote controls will become lost or broken once they are removed from the organizer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention satisfies the above needs. A novel organizer for remote control units is provided.

The claimed organizer is made up of segments coupled to each other. Each segment is made up of a flat support member coupled to a cover member. Normally, the device would have 2 to 6 segments. Each remote control unit is stored within the pocket created between the support member and the cover member. The cover members are made out a flexible and transparent material thus allowing for operation of remote controls while they are stored inside of the organizer. The flat support member could have a cover member coupled to both its front and back sides. Thus each segment will have two pockets doubling the capacity of the organizer.

A primary locking means serves the function of opening and closing the pockets for insertion and removal of the remote control units. The organizer could be stacked-up or rolled-up for easy and convenient storage of the remote control units. A secondary locking means keeps the organizer in a rolled-up or in a stacked-up configuration.

Most significantly, the remote controls need not be removed from the organizer in order for them to be used. Utilization of this organizer allows for remote controls to be protected from everyday wear and tear, human touch contact, food and beverage spillage and any other mishap or problem that could occur if the remote controls were exposed and left out unprotected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following descriptions, appended claims and accompanying drawings where [0008]
FIG. 1 is a front view of one of the embodiments of the organizer for remote controls in an unrolled configuration. [0009]
FIG. 2 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the disclosed device where each segment has two pockets. [0010]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stacked-up configuration of the organizer. [0011]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rolled-up configuration of the organizer.[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention represents an organizer for remote controls. FIG. 1 shows the front of the organizer in an un-rolled configuration. The organizer is made up of a series of [0013] segments 1 which have a top end 4, bottom end 5, and side ends 6. The segments 1 could be coupled to each other at their side ends 6 via bridge member 12.
The remote control units R are stored within pockets created through coupling of the [0014] flat support member 2 with cover members 3 as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The pockets are accessed through openings that are created by using a primary locking means [0015] 7 located along the bottom ends 5 of the segments 1 as depicted in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the primary locking means 7 could be positioned along the top ends 4 of the segments 1 or along both the top 4 and the bottom 5 ends of the segments 1. The primary locking 7 means could be a variety of such well known in the art locking means as zippers, VELCRO, and tongue and groove interaction as in a ZIP-LOCK, among others.
To simplify storage and to save space, the organizer could be rolled up to form a stacked-up (FIG. 3) or a rolled-up (FIG. 4) configuration. The coupling between [0016] adjacent segments 1 could be achieved via flexible bridge members 12 which have sufficient width to allow for stacking up or for rolling up of the organizer as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In a preferred embodiment, the [0017] cover members 3 are made out of a flexible transparent material such as plastic. This allows for operation of the remote control units without removing them from the organizer. In addition, each segment 1 has two cover members 3 coupled to each one of its sides so as to form two pockets as depicted in FIG. 2. This doubles organizer's capacity. Although any number of segments could be used, it is preferred to use 2-6 segments.
A secondary locking means [0018] 8 depicted in FIG. 1 is used to lock the organizer in a stacked-up or a rolled-up configuration. The secondary locking means 8 could be a variety of such well known in the art locking means such as VELCRO, among others. The secondary locking means 8 is attached to an end segment 10 which is a segment 1 that is coupled to another segment 1 on only one of its side ends 6 with the other side end 6 being a free end 11 as depicted in FIG. 1.
Moreover, a tertiary locking means [0019] 9, shown in FIG. 1, could be used to add and remove segments 1 to and from the organizer. The tertiary locking means 9 is located along the length of the bridge member 12, as shown in FIG. 1. The tertiary locking 7 means could be a variety of such well known in the art locking means as zippers, VELCRO, and tongue and groove interaction as in a ZIP-LOCK, and others. This feature gives flexibility in addition and removal of segments depending on the number of remote control units being used. If the two free ends 11 of the two end segments 10 are equipped with the tertiary locking means 9, then engagement of the tertiary locking means 9 creates a belt out of the segments of the organizer.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Organizer for remote controls, comprising:

a plurality of segments, wherein each segment has a top end, a bottom end, and two side ends, and wherein each segment has a flat support member coupled with a cover member on a side of the support member so as to form a pocket where each pocket is capable of storing a remote control unit, and wherein each segment is coupled to another adjacent segment while an end segment is the segment which is coupled to another segment on only one of its side ends with the other side end being a free end.

2. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

in at least one segment, the cover members are coupled to the flat support member on both sides of the flat member thus creating the pocket on each side of the segment.

3. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

coupling between adjacent segments allows for bending of the organizer along the axis of the coupling so as to allow to superimpose segments in a stacked manner thereby achieving a stacked-up configuration of the organizer.

4. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

the segments have a rectangular shape.

5. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

the cover members are made of transparent and flexible material so as to allow viewing and operation of the remote control units stored inside of the pockets.

6. Organizer for remote controls of claim 5 wherein:

the cover members are made of transparent and flexible plastic material.

7. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

a primary locking means is located the top end of each segment allowing for closing and opening of the pockets for insertion and removal of remote control units while the coupling between adjacent segments is along the adjacent side ends on these segments.

8. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

a primary locking means is located the bottom end of each segment allowing for closing and opening of the pockets for insertion and removal of remote control units while the coupling between adjacent segments is along the adjacent side ends on these segments.

9. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

a primary locking means is located on the top and bottom ends of each segment allowing for closing and opening of the pockets for insertion and removal of remote control units while the coupling between adjacent segments is along the adjacent side ends on these segments.

10. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

at least one end segment has a secondary locking means coupled to its free end which secondary locking means, when engaged, allows for retaining of a stacked-up configuration of the organizer.

11. Organizer for remote controls of claim 1 wherein:

the adjacent segments are coupled to each other via a bendable bridge member.

12. Organizer for remote controls of claim 11 wherein:

a tertiary locking means is located along the length of at least one bridge member wherein the tertiary locking means allows for attachment and detachment of separate segments to and from each other along the length of the bridge member.

13. Organizer for remote controls of claim 12 wherein:

the tertiary locking means allows for bending of the organizer along the length of the tertiary locking means so as to allow to superimpose segments in a stacked manner thereby achieving a stacked-up configuration of the organizer.

14. Organizer for remote controls of claim 12 wherein:

the free sides of two end segments are equipped with the tertiary locking means engagement of which creates a belt made out of organizers.