Towel and Clip System

Description

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/682,224 filed on Aug. 12, 2024.

The current application is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) application of the U.S. design application Ser. No. 29/963,670 filed on Sep. 18, 2024.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to sports equipment fastening systems. More specifically, the present invention discloses a towel and clip system that enables the user to comfortably carry a towel in a readably available manner when performing physical activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, several types of sports equipment have been made available that facilitate and enhance the physical performance of the user, such as athletic towels. Athletic towels are often utilized to keep different parts of the body dry while performing different physical activities. For example, gym goers often carry an athletic towel to dry their hands and/or face while working out. Most athletic towels have a portable design that allows the user to carry the towel in a comfortable manner that does not disrupt the physical activity being performed. However, securely carrying the towel in a readily available manner can be a challenge while performing physical activities. For example, many people carry the athletic towel on the hip by securing an end of the towel on the waistband. While practical, securing the athletic towel to the waistband can be difficult to do while performing physical activity, especially when wearing gloves or other equipment. Other accessories have been implemented to help secure the towel to a clothing garment, such as towel clips that can be secured to a clothing garment. However, these garments can be difficult to operate and do not allow for the quick attachment or detachment of the towel. Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved system that allows the user to comfortably carry an athletic towel in a readily available manner.

Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a towel and clip system that allows the detachable mounting of an athletic towel to any clothing garment. The clip of the present invention is preferably designed to be secured to the waistband of the user without the use of other tools or fasteners. The towel of the present invention is designed to be detachably connected to the clip so that the user can easily retrieve the towel as well as to easily reattach the towel to the clip after use. Another objective of the present invention is to implement a mechanism that allows the detachable connection of the towel to the clip. The present invention preferably implements a magnetic connection between the towel and the clip that allows the towel to be detachably connected to the clip. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are further discussed in the sections below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a towel and clip system that is also referred to as “The Squigie” or “Mag-Rag.” The present invention includes a revolutionary sports and fitness towel designed to enhance the experience of active individuals in various physical activities. Unlike traditional sports towels, the towel of the present invention is equipped with an embedded magnet within the towel that conveniently attaches to a metal belt clip that can be worn on a person's shorts or pants. In addition, the clip of the present invention is designed to allow the coupling of a carabiner or other similar device to the clip. This allows the user to connect the clip to an external device such as a bag or purse once the user is done using the towel. Further, the different components of the present invention can be provided with different designs and in different sizes. For example, the towel of the present invention can be provided in two sizes: a small size and a large size. The small-size version of the towel can include a single magnet, while the large-size version of the towel can include two magnets. Further, the small-size version of the towel has a length of 14 inches (in.) and a width of six in. On the other hand, the large-size version of the towel has a length of 14 in. and a width of 12 in. that allows the user to fold the towel in half. Additional features can be implemented to enhance the functionality of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top-front-left perspective view of the present invention, wherein the towel is shown unfolded, and wherein the towel is shown separate from the clip.

FIG. 2 is a bottom-rear-right perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top-front-left perspective view of the present invention, wherein the towel is shown folded in half, and wherein the towel is shown attached to the clip.

FIG. 4 is a top-rear-right perspective view thereof.

FIG. 5 is left side exploded view of the present invention, wherein the towel is shown being attached to the clip.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the present invention, wherein the towel is shown attached to the clip.

FIG. 7 is a top-front-left perspective view of the clip of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom-rear-right perspective view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a front side view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a left side view thereof.

FIG. 11 is a top-front-left perspective view of the towel of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a bottom-rear-right perspective view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention discloses a towel and clip system designed to enable the user to comfortably carry a towel in a readily available manner while performing different physical activities. The present invention comprises a portable towel 2, a waistband clip 18, and at least one releasable fastener 32. The portable towel 2 is a comfortable towel that can be used to dry different parts of a user's body. The waistband clip 18 is designed to be attached to a clothing garment to help secure the portable towel 2 to the clothing garment. The at least one releasable fastener 32 enables the connection of the portable towel 2 to the waistband clip 18 in such a way that the portable towel 2 can be readily detached from the waistband clip 18 for use and then easily attached to the waistband clip 18 after use. Thus, the at least one releasable fastener 32 is peripherally integrated into the portable towel 2 so that the at least one releasable fastener can be detachably attached to the waistband clip 18.

The general configuration of the aforementioned components enables the user to comfortably carry a readily available towel while performing a physical activity without the towel obstructing the user. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the portable towel 2 can be effortlessly carried by the user. The portable towel 2 can be made from different materials that are safe to use and can be customized for different applications. For example, the portable towel 2 can be made from absorbent material that is soft to the skin, such as cotton or a polyester material. Further, the portable towel 2 can have different ornamental designs and can be provided in different sizes. For example, the portable towel 2 can be provided in a small size, a large size, etc. The larger sized versions of the portable towel 2 can be designed to be foldable to further facilitate the transportation of the portable towel 2.

The portable towel 2 may comprise a towel body 4 and a towel trim 16. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the towel trim 16 corresponds to a portion of the portable towel 2 that accommodates the at least one releasable fastener 32, while the towel body 4 corresponds to the main structure of the portable towel 2 that can be used to dry a user's body. The towel body 4 preferably has a rectangular shape; however, other shapes can be implemented. In addition, the towel body 4 preferably comprises a first lengthwise edge 6, a second lengthwise edge 8, a first widthwise edge 10, and a second widthwise edge 12. The first lengthwise edge 6 and the second lengthwise edge 8 preferably correspond to the longer edges of the towel body 4, while the first widthwise edge 10 and the second widthwise edge 12 correspond to the shorter edges of the towel body 4. In a rectangular configuration of the portable towel 2, the first lengthwise edge 6 is positioned parallel and opposite to the second lengthwise edge 8 across the towel body 4. The first lengthwise edge 6 is also positioned perpendicular to the first widthwise edge 10. Further, the first widthwise edge is 10 positioned parallel and opposite to the second widthwise edge 12 across the towel body 4. Thus, the towel body 4 is shaped into a rectangular-shaped structure. Furthermore, the towel trim 16 is connected along the first widthwise edge 10 to secure the towel trim 16 to the towel body 4 and to form a single rectangular structure. In other embodiments, different arrangements can be implemented according to different ornamental designs of the portable towel 2.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the at least one releasable fastener 32 is preferably integrated on the towel trim 16 so that the portable towel 2 can be secured to the waistband clip 18 from the towel trim 16. Different numbers of releasable fasteners can be implemented according to the size of the towel. In a smaller-sized version of the portable towel 2, a single releasable fastener is implemented. The single releasable fastener can be centered along the towel trim 16. In a larger-sized version of the portable towel 2, the at least one releasable fastener 32 is a first releasable fastener 34 and a second releasable fastener 36. The first releasable fastener 34 and the second releasable fastener 36 are distributed along the towel trim 16 so that when the portable towel 2 is folded along a middle-fold line 14, the first releasable fastener 34 and the second releasable fastener 36 can be engaged with each other to maintain the portable towel 2 being folded in half. For example, the portable towel 2 can be folded lengthwise to reduce the occupying width of the portable towel 2. Each half of the portable towel 2 can be secured to each other using the first releasable fastener 34 and the second releasable fastener 36 to keep the portable towel 2 folded in half. More specifically, the middle fold-line 14 is positioned parallel to the first lengthwise edge 6 and the second lengthwise edge 8 and is positioned equidistant between the first lengthwise edge 6 and the second lengthwise edge 8. This arrangement allows the first releasable fastener 34 to be positioned equidistant between the first lengthwise edge 6 and the middle fold-line 14 and allows the second releasable fastener 8 to be positioned equidistant between the second lengthwise edge 8 and the middle fold-line 14. In other embodiments, additional releasable fasteners can be implemented to accommodate different ornamental designs of the portable towel 2 and/or the waistband clip 18.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the waistband clip 18 is designed to be attached to a clothing garment without the use of other fasteners. Thus, the waistband clip may comprise a front straight section 20, a rear straight section 22, an intermediate bended section 24, an inwardly-curved section 26, and an outwardly-curved section 28. The front straight section 20 corresponds to the section of the waistband clip 18 that engages the at least one releasable fastener 32 on the portable towel 2. The intermediate bended section 24 corresponds to the section of the waistband clip 18 that connects the front straight section 20 to the rear straight section 22. The rear straight section 22 corresponds to the section of the waistband clip 18 that engages the clothing garment to secure the waistband clip 18 to the desired clothing garment.

The waistband clip 18 may be arranged as follows: the front straight section 20, the intermediate bended section 24, and the rear straight section 22 are vertically aligned with each other in order to form a structure that is symmetrical along the vertical axis. The front straight section 20 is positioned parallel to the rear straight section 22 across the intermediate bended section 24. Further, the intermediate bended section 24 is connected in between one end of the front straight section 20 and one end of the rear straight section 22. The intermediate bended section 24 preferably is a bend in the material making up the waistband clip 18 that connects the front straight section 20 to the rear straight section 22. Thus, an elongated U-shaped structure of the waistband clip 18 is designed to slide over and engage a portion of a desired clothing garment, such as the waistband of pants or shorts.

The inwardly-curved section 26 and an outwardly-curved section 28 are used to help secure the waistband clip 18 to the desired clothing garment by modifying the engagement between the waistband clip 18 and the desired clothing garment. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the inwardly-curved section 26 is preferably a curved piece of material that bends towards the rear straight section 22. This way, when a user engages the waistband clip 18 onto the desired clothing garment, the inwardly-curved section 26 presses the desired clothing garment against a user's body to prevent the waistband clip 18 being accidently dislodged from the desired clothing garment. Likewise, the outwardly-curved section 28 is bent away from the front straight section 20 to more easily facilitate the engagement of the waistband clip 18 and the desired clothing garment. For example, when a user engages the waistband clip 18 onto the desired clothing garment, the outwardly-curved section allows a portion of a waistband to be caught and inserted into the waistband clip 18. In alternate embodiments, different clip designs can be implemented that can be secured to other external objects.

The waistband clip 18 preferably arranges its aforementioned components in the following configuration. The inwardly-curved section 26 is terminally connected to the front straight section 20, and the intermediate bended section 24 is terminally connected to the front straight section 20, opposite to the inwardly-curved section 26. Moreover, the outwardly-curved section 30 is terminally connected to the rear straight section 22, and the intermediate bended section 24 is terminally connected to the rear straight section 22, opposite to the outwardly-curved section 28. This arrangement allows the front straight section 20, the intermediate bended section 24, and the rear straight section 22 to be arranged into a U-shaped configuration. This arrangement also allows the inwardly-curved section 26 to be oriented towards the rear straight section 22 and the outwardly-curved section 28 to be oriented away from the front straight section 20.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 12, the waistband clip 18 may further comprise at least one orifice 30 that accommodates other kinds of connectors or coupling devices. For example, the at least one orifice allows a carabiner or similar coupler to be engaged with the waistband clip 18 so that the waistband clip 18 can be secured to an additional external object, such as a bag strap. In the preferred embodiment, the at least one orifice traverses through the inwardly-curved section 26 and is centrally positioned on the inwardly-curved section 26. In other embodiments, additional orifices can be implemented to accommodate additional accessories or other mechanisms can be implemented that help secure different devices to the clip.

As previously discussed, the at least one releasable fastener 32 allows a user to easily secure the portable towel 2 to the waistband clip 18 in such a way that the user can easily remove the portable towel 2 from the waistband clip 18 for use and then reattach the portable towel 2 to the waistband clip 18 after use. In the preferred embodiment, the at least one releasable fastener 32 is a permanent magnet, and the waistband clip 18 or the front straight section 20 is made of a ferromagnetic material. This way, the portable towel 2 can be magnetically secured to the waistband clip 18 in a detachable manner. In alternate embodiments, different connectors can be implemented that secure the towel to the clip in a detachable manner.

In one embodiment, the at least one releasable fastener 32 can be a snap connector with two interlocking pieces. For example, the first interlocking piece can be implemented on the towel trim 16, while the second interlocking piece can be implemented on the front straight section 20. Thus, a user can secure the portable towel 2 to the waistband clip 2 by coupling the first interlocking piece to the second interlocking piece. In another embodiment, the at least one releasable fastener 32 is a hook-and-loop fastener. For example, a hooks portion of the hook-and-loop fastener can be implemented on the towel trim 16, while the loops portion of the hook-and-loop fastener can be implemented on the front straight section 20. This way, the user can secure the portable towel 2 to the waistband clip 18 by engaging the hooks portion with the loops portion. In other embodiments, different types of connectors can be implemented that allow for the detachable connection between the portable towel 2 and the waistband clip 18.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.