Towel holder

A generally flat holder for clipping to a user's trousers and holding a towel or other fabric object. The holder has a body including an upper section forming a C-shaped hook forming a first gap between opposing ends of the C, and a lower section comprising a frame forming a central opening encircling an upwardly projecting tab. A U-shaped second gap is defined between the tab and the surrounding portion of the frame. The body is generally rigid, but is sufficiently flexible so that the hook and tab may be deflected to increase their respective gaps. Deflection enables the hook to be slipped over the belt or edge of the trousers of a user, and enables the tab to admit passage of a towel or the like into the central opening of the lower section of the body. The tab is configured to maintain engagement with the towel, but readily releases the towel when deflected by manual pressure such that its respective gap is widened. All edges of the body are beveled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to hangers, and more particularly to a hanger 
comprising a hook for securing the hanger to an environmental object and a 
tongue for engaging a fabric. The hanger is preferably suspended from the 
belt of a user and is employed to releasably secure a towel to the belt. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Towels and other absorbent materials are used by people to wipe foreign 
materials, such as dirt and oil, from their hands and from objects they 
are using. Towels are also used by people to clean and polish items. 
During outdoor activities, such as camping and fishing, towels and other 
absorbent fabrics are used by people to keep hands and equipment clean and 
dry. 
If a towel is laid down by the user, it may become soiled or misplaced. 
Also, when laid down, the towel may be out of convenient reach of the 
user. To forestall these problems, people have long attempted to entrap 
towels in their belts. However, the towel may unexpectedly escape. Towels 
may be placed within ancillary equipment such as golf bags and tackle 
boxes. However, the towel may again not be readily available when desired. 
The prior art has attempted to address this problem by proposing devices 
for engaging towels and fabrics. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,692,269, issued to Paul 
N. Hales on Sep. 19, 1972, and 4,346,825, issued to Jean-Paul Leger on 
Aug. 31, 1982, are exemplary. Each holder has a hook disposed at the top 
of the respective device and a tab disposed within an opening for securing 
a fabric object. The present invention includes such features, but differs 
in that the hook is nearly closed, the tab cooperates closely with its 
opening, and in that the edges of the holder are beveled or rounded. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,790,045, issued to Yehoshua Rigel et al. on Feb. 5, 1974, 
4,943,026, issued to Gerhard Fildan on Jul. 24, 1990, 5,429,284, issued to 
Chester Kolton et al. on Jul. 4, 1995, and 5,505,351, issued to John 
Najarian on Apr. 9, 1996, further illustrate garment and package holders. 
Although the subject inventions include a hook for hanging and a tab for 
engaging an article to be supported, they differ in configuration from the 
present invention. 
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in 
combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a compact towel holder of generally nominal 
thickness which has a hook for hanging the holder on a belt or trousers of 
the user, and a centrally located tab occupying a central opening, for 
engaging a towel. The holder is sufficiently rigid as to maintain its 
configuration, but will deflect under manual pressure to allow the hook to 
be passed over a belt and to allow the tab to pass a towel into the 
central opening. 
The novel holder is readily slid into place on the garments of the user. 
The hook is C-shaped, so that it substantially encircles a belt. A towel 
is readily inserted into engagement with the tab, but resists inadvertent 
dislodging and consequent loss. The towel passes over an end of the tab 
and is retained by the holder in the following manner. Should the towel be 
pulled in a direction opposite that of insertion, the tab will resiliently 
deflect in a manner assuring obstruction to passage of the towel. Pulling 
on the towel from the opposite direction causes the towel to push the tab 
aside at its free end, thereby effecting easy removal of the towel from 
the holder. In summary, once partially inserted through the holder, the 
towel cannot be easily withdrawn by pulling downwardly, yet is readily 
removed by pulling upwardly. Thus, the novel holder is readily utilized by 
sports enthusiasts and others undertaking activities requiring that a 
towel be close at hand and readily released for use. 
The novel holder is generally flat for compactness, the hook and tab 
deviating from the generally planar configuration only when being manually 
deflected for mounting and dismounting from the belt and to accept and 
release a towel. In addition to securely yet releasably holding a towel, 
the novel holder is readily fabricated by molding from a synthetic resin. 
Some edges of the holder are rounded to avoid binding and for ease of 
manufacturing, other edges being beveled for ease of manufacturing by 
molding. The overall configuration, when viewed in plan, is nearly 
rectangular and devoid of projections which could readily snag external 
objects. Broad, flat surfaces are present for bearing molded indicia for 
advertising, product identification, and other purposes. 
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide a holder which is 
easily attached to the belt or trousers of the user, and which securely 
holds a towel. 
It is another object of the invention that the holder be compact and free 
from snagging external objects. 
It is a further object of the invention that the hook form a nearly closed 
figure, for encircling belts. 
Still another object of the invention is that the holder be compact. 
Another object of the invention is that edges of the holder be rounded or 
beveled for ease of manufacture. 
Still another object of the invention is that the holder be formed as a 
single molded, monolithic piece. 
Yet another object of the invention is that the holder accept molded 
indicia for advertising and other purposes. 
An additional object of the invention is that the holder normally remain 
flat and generally planar, deviating from this configuration only under 
manual pressure when installing on and releasing a belt, or when accepting 
and releasing a towel. 
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and 
arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is 
inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended 
purposes. 
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily 
apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, novel holder 10 for securing a 
fabric object (not shown) to apparel (not shown) of a user comprises a 
flat body of nominal thickness. Holder 10 has a front face 80 and a rear 
face 82. These are best seen in FIG. 2. The constituent material of holder 
10 is sufficiently rigid to maintain its configuration against spontaneous 
slumping or deforming, and is sufficiently flexible to deflect under 
manual pressure. The body of holder 10 has an elongated hook 12 formed at 
its upper section. Hook 12 includes a first hook member 14, a short second 
hook member 16, a bottom portion 18, and a gap 20 separating hook members 
14, 16. Gap 20 is preferably located on a right or left lateral side of 
the body of holder 10, to assure retention when slipped over a belt (not 
shown) of a user. Hook member 14 extends upwardly from bottom portion 18, 
arches over elongated opening 22 defined within the space encircled by 
hook members 14, 16, and projects downwardly to approach hook member 16. 
Hook members 14, 16 terminate at respective tips 24A, 24B. 
A frame 25 is joined to hook 12 below bottom portion 18. Frame 25 encloses 
a second opening 26. A tab 28 occupying opening 26 is anchored to frame 25 
at 30. Frame 25 and tab 28 cooperate to establish a second inverted, 
U-shaped gap 32 existing between frame 25 and tab 28. Opening 26 will 
generally be coextensive with gap 32 under normal conditions. However, 
deflection of tab 28 (discussed hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3), 
will cause opening 26 to be enlarged, thereby allowing a towel to pass 
easily through opening 26. 
It is preferred that certain dimensions of various portions of holder 10 be 
maintained equal to each other. Notably, hook members 14, 16 of hook 14 
are of constant width. Hook member 14 has a straight left hook section 34 
and a straight right hook section 36 parallel to straight left hook 
section 34. Sections 34 and 36 are of widths 38, 40 substantially 
identical widths 38, 40. Hook member 16 has a width 42 substantially equal 
to widths 38, 40. 
Frame 25 has a left frame section 44 and a right frame section 46 parallel 
to one another. Width 48 of left frame section 44 and width 50 of right 
frame section 46 are substantially identical to one another, as well as to 
widths 38 and 40. Frame 25 further has a curved upper interior edge 52 
defining the top of opening 26. Tab 28 has a correspondingly curved upper 
edge 54 arranged parallel to edge 52. Tab 28 also has a right edge 56 
disposed parallel to right frame section 46 and a left edge 58 disposed 
parallel to left frame section 44. The overall widths 60, 62 
(respectively) of openings 22 and 26 are also substantially identical. The 
width 64 of tab 28 is such that the magnitude of gap 32 is minimal, 
thereby assuring that even a single thickness of fabrics typical of towels 
and apparel will readily become pinched when inserted through gap 32. 
Advantages of equal widths of hook members 14, 16 and of members of frame 
25 are that fabrication of suitable molds is rendered easier, and also 
that strength and flexibility of the body of holder 10 are constant and 
predictable. 
Tab 28 preferably projects upwardly, as depicted in the drawings. This 
signifies that upper edge 54 is that part of tab 28 is located relatively 
close to hook 12. This arrangement assures that a towel can be 
conveniently pulled upwardly when holder 10 is installed on the user's 
belt. Also, a towel inserted into engagement with holder 10 will not be 
casually removed merely by pulling, as will be further described 
hereinafter. 
FIG. 2 shows two characteristics of holder 10. One is that under normal 
conditions, when holder 10 is not being manipulated to install the same on 
and remove the same from a belt, nor to engage or release a towel, it is 
generally flat and planar, apart from nominal thickness of the constituent 
material. The other characteristic is that all members described prior as 
having widths have edges 66 disposed between front and lateral surfaces 
68, 66 (respectively) and between rear and lateral surfaces 70, 66 
(respectively). Edges 66 are characterized by gradual transition between 
adjacent lateral, front, and rear surfaces 66, 68, 70. This may be 
accomplished by rounding or curving of edges 66, as particularly pointed 
out at 72. Alternatively, edges may include facets or faces arranged at 
progressively increasing pitch to one another to the same effect. Rounding 
is preferred. Regardless of how it is achieved, the gradual transition 
eliminates sharp edges (not shown) on which a towel or other fabric might 
bind. Successful release of the towel is thereby assured. 
FIG. 3 illustrates how hook member 14 and tab 28 deflect under manual 
pressure. When first installing holder 10 on a belt, hook member 14 is 
bent under manual pressure so that tip 24 swings away from hook member 16 
as shown by arrow 74, thereby opening gap 20. The additional space thus 
temporarily afforded enables holder 10 to be slipped over the belt. The 
belt will then be contained within opening 22, and is most unlikely to 
spontaneously or inadvertently be dislodged from engagement with holder 
10. 
FIG. 3 also illustrates that external edges 73 of tab 28 and internal edges 
75 of frame 25 are beveled or tapered on both sides to an edge. Beveling 
or tapering both improves ease of manufacturing, and also establishes a 
sharp edge which will tend to engage a towel should the towel be pulled 
downwardly. Therefore, sharp edge 73 assists in retaining a towel. 
To install a towel, the towel may be passed through opening 26, thereby 
deflecting tab 28 in the direction of arrow 76. Once a limited amount of 
fabric has passed through opening 26, holder 10 is released. Tab 28 
resiliently returns to the configuration of FIG. 2, and the towel is 
retained by pinching. Any attempt to release the towel by pulling the same 
downwardly will be thwarted. The direction of pull is such that tab 28 
resiliently opposes displacement shown in FIG. 3. When the user desires to 
release the towel, the towel is pulled in an upward direction. This will 
cause the towel to urge tab 28 into the deflected position shown in FIG. 
3. The remaining portion of the towel may then readily be pulled free of 
holder 10. 
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the 
embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments 
within the scope of the following claims.