Abstract:
A small clothing item management system holds small clothing items on a beam and prevents damage or loss to the clothing items. The clothing items are secured against a center beam by a flexible strap during the wash and dry cycles of the household laundry process. After completion of the laundry process, the small clothing items remain secured to the center beam for storage.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
   This application claims priority of prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/616,665 filed Oct. 7, 2004 the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates in general to clothing holders and organizers and, in particular, to a small clothing item management system facilitating efficient organization of small clothing items during laundry and storage. 
   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Small clothing items such as socks, handkerchiefs, and the like are generally washed loose among larger clothing items. The smaller items get caught in the washing machine agitator and damaged, get caught and hidden in larger clothing items, and paired or grouped items such as socks get separated. After being laundered, the clothing items must be sorted, folded, and stored. For paired items such as socks, the sorting includes matching pairs together, which is time consuming. 
   There are several methods that people try in order to prevent losing small items in the laundry, keeping paired items together, and managing storage of paired items; however, existing methods have faults and none addresses the issue of sorting and storage of paired items. For example, there are several mesh-type bags available for washing small and delicate items. Mesh-type bags prevent damage to small items, but do not alleviate the sorting and storage problem at the end of the laundry process. Paired items such as socks can be held together by safety pins, clothes pins or other types of clips or holders, but pins can damage socks by rusting and staining, tearing small holes in the socks, or pulling threads out of the socks. Clothes pins or clips keep items together, but can come unclipped or caught by other articles of clothing, resulting in items becoming separated, or if they remain together, the items must be unclipped for convenient storage. 
   The present invention comprises a device for holding small clothing items together which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, the small clothing item management system comprises a center beam and a flexible strap for securing items thereto. 
   In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, a small clothing item management system comprises a rigid center beam and a rigid flexible strap which secures therearound. Clothing items are held on the center beam by the flexible strap. The strap holds the items securely during the wash and dry cycles of laundry and keeps paired items together during laundry folding and storage. Additionally, the clothing items are held flat against the center beam and can be stored either folded, rolled, or laid flat in a drawer or storage container or the like. Both the center beam and strap are constructed with durable materials to withstand the pressure and heat of the wash and dry cycles. 
   The small clothing item management system prevents loss or damage to small clothing items during the household washing and drying cycles, eliminates the need for sorting at the end of the laundry process, and assists in convenient storage and management of the paired items such as socks. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a small clothing item management system comprising a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the strap of the management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of an initial step in the utilization of the management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of a later step in the utilization of the management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of a somewhat later step in the management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of a still later step in the utilization of the management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a small clothing item management system comprising a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the center beam of the small clothing item management system shown in  FIG. 7 ; and 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the flexible strap of the small clothing item management system shown in  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a small clothing item management system  10  incorporating a first embodiment of the present invention. Small clothing items are held against a center beam  12  by a flexible strap  14  during the washing and drying cycles of laundry, and after the laundry process during storage. The strap  14  wraps around one end of the beam  12  and is secured on both sides at the other end by handles  16 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  there is shown the flexible strap  14 . The strap  14  is fabricated from a high strength rubber, a polymeric material, or other materials known to those skilled in the art for enabling the strap  14  to be both flexible and durable At each end of the strap  14  there is provided a handle  16 . The handles  16  are connected to the strap by end connectors  18 , defined by notches  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26 . Cut out of each side of the strap are two drying vents  28  that allow air to pass through to the item of clothing attached underneath. At the center of the strap  14  is a retainer  30 . The retainer  30  is connected to the strap  14  by center connectors  32 , defined by notches  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40 . On each side of the connectors  32  is a retaining flap  42 . Each flap  42  covers the connectors  32  and their defining notches  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1  the center beam  12  is constructed using wood, a plastic material having both high shore D hardness and deflection temperature, or other materials known to those skilled in the art suitable for withstanding repeated exposure to water and high temperatures. The proximal end of the beam  12  comprises a small semi-circular retaining groove  44  which receives the retainer  30 . The distal end of the beam  12  comprises a receiving groove  46  with four fingers  48  for receiving and retaining the handles  16 . Cut out of the middle of the beam are drying vents  50  to facilitate drying the portion of the clothing item secured against to the beam  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , clothing items are held in place against the center beam  12  by the strap  14 . The retainer  30  fits into the semi-circular retaining groove  44  to hold the strap  14  on the beam  12 . The center connectors  32  fit and extend through openings of the retaining groove  44 , with the retaining flaps  42  resting on top of either side of the retaining groove  44 . A clothing item is placed against the beam  12  and one side of the strap  14  is stretched across the clothing item, placing the end connector  18  between the fingers  48  of the receiving groove  46 . Once the connector  18  is in place and the handle  16  is released, the handle  16  is held in place by the tension against the fingers  48 . Another item is placed on the other side of the beam  12  in the same manner. 
     FIG. 4  shows the management system  10  used to retain clothing items during the wash cycle. 
     FIG. 5  shows the management system  10  used to retain clothing items during the drying cycle. An important feature of the invention comprises the fact that the management system  10  is quiet in the dryer. 
     FIG. 6  shows the management system  10  used in the storage of the small clothing devices. After completing the washing and drying cycles of the laundry, paired items such as socks remain secured against the beam  12  for storage. Each item is laid flat, folded, wrapped around the clothing-holder device, or otherwise manipulated for storage. 
     FIG. 7  shows a small clothing item management system  54  incorporating a second embodiment of the present invention. Many of the component parts of the small clothing item management system  54  are substantially identical in construction and function to component parts of the small clothing item management system  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6  and described hereinabove in conjunction therewith. Such identical component parts are designated in  FIG. 7  with the same reference numerals utilized above in the description of the small clothing item management system  10 , but are differentiated therefrom by means of a prime (′) designation. 
   The small clothing item management system  54  differs from the small clothing item management system  10  in that the small clothing item management system  54  comprises a center beam  56  having a serpentine shape with multiple drying vents  50 ′ on each side thereof. The serpentine shape of the center beam  56  enables more air flow to the portions of a small clothing item affixed to the beam  56 . The small clothing item management system  54  comprises two flexible straps  58  secured on the top and bottom of the center beam  56  instead of one continuous strap  14 . 
   The proximal end of each strap  58  secures onto the proximal end of the beam  56  leaving the distal end of the strap  58  unfastened while clothing items are placed against the beam  56 . The strap  58  is received onto strap retaining members  60  on the proximal end of the beam  56 , the retaining member  60  slightly tapering outward thereby facilitating a secure mating engagement between the strap  58  and the beam  56 . After a small clothing item is placed against the beam  56  the distal end of the strap  58  fastens onto a receiving member  62  on the distal end of the beam  56 . 
     FIG. 8  illustrates the center beam  56  of the small clothing item management system  54 . The beam  56  is constructed using wood, a plastic material having both high shore D hardness and deflection temperature, or other materials known to those skilled in the art suitable for withstanding repeated exposure to water and high temperatures. 
     FIG. 9  illustrates the flexible strap  58  of the small clothing management system  54 . The strap  58  comprises a retaining aperture  64  on the proximal end thereof for securing the strap  58  onto the proximal end of the center beam  56 . The distal end of the strap  58  comprises a fastening aperture  66  for fastening the strap  58  onto the beam  56  over a small item of clothing placed thereon. A handle  16 ′ on the distal end of the strap  58  enables a user the better grasp the strap  58  when fastening it onto the beam  56  and covers the end of the beam  56  such that the small clothing item management system  54  is quiet in the dryer. The strap  58  is fabricated from a high strength rubber, polymeric material, or other materials known to those skilled in the art which enable the strap  58  to be both flexible and durable. 
   Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.