Abstract:
An equipment-holding belt system for salon workers, in which a wide, waist-bridging hook-and-loop faced belt is provided with one or more detachable equipment-holders. The belt has a long, non-elastic, stiffened non-folding section faced with hook-and-loop fastener; a short movement-enhancing elastic section connected to an inner end of the non-folding stiffened section; and a non-elastic, non-stiffened fabric closure end connected to the other side of the elastic section and detachably secured to an outer end of the stiffened section. One or more equipment holders can be detachably secured to the face of the stiffened section of the belt, and in a preferred form include flexible, hook-and-loop backed attachment panels whose height corresponds to the width of the belt.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The subject matter of the present application is in the field of belts, and more particularly belts for holding implements used in hair care and related salon work. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Tool-holding belts are well known for use in carpentry, construction, and other tool-intensive trades. 
         [0003]    One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,356 to Noriega et al (Noriega), showing a lumbar support belt having self-fastening hook-and-loop end sections, and different kinds of article-holding devices with mating hook-and-loop backings that mate with the hook-and-loop sections of the belt. The larger of the article-holding devices is a pouch that requires a strap system for connection with the belt, and the hook-and-loop backing on the pouch appears to be provided to prevent movement that the straps alone cannot. The belt has a large intermediate elastic section connecting the two substantially non-elastic end sections. The large elastic section draws the non-elastic end sections securely against the wearer&#39;s waist, captures the straps of the pouch between the non-elastic sections and the wearer&#39;s waist, and presses against the lumbar portion of the wearer&#39;s back, presumably for lumbar support. 
         [0004]    Construction tool belts, however, are not suitable for the salon work environment or for salon implements. They are too bulky, too inconvenient for frequently swapping equipment on and off the belt, and not designed to hold salon implements in a convenient, stable, and comfortable manner. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    I have invented a modular belt system specifically designed for use by salon workers to manage a variety of the heavy and/or bulky containers and implements used for cutting, coloring, perms, hair treatments, and any other table-free hair styling operation. The belt has a continuous, non-elastic, non-folding stiffened body section having an outer end, the stiffened body section comprising the majority of the belt&#39;s circumference; a movement-enhancing elastic section connected to an inner end of the stiffened body section; and a non-stiffened, non-elastic closure end that connects to the stiffened section&#39;s outer end. 
         [0006]    The belt system also comprises at least one detachable equipment-holder adapted to be attached to and detached from the face of the belt. In a preferred form, the equipment-holder comprises a flexible attachment panel and an equipment-holding retainer portion, the retainer portion being located below an upper end of the attachment panel. In a further form, the retainer portion comprises a flexible fabric retainer with a sidewall and a partially open bottom, and further with one or more support straps defining the bottom of the retainer at a location spaced from the sidewall. In a further preferred form, the support straps form a T configuration with an open front. 
         [0007]    In a further form, the outer face of the outer end of the belt and the inner face of the second end are faced with mating hook-and-loop material. In a further preferred form, the outer face of the stiffened body is also faced with hook-and-loop material as the attachment means, and the equipment-holder has an inner face (the inner face of the attachment panel) supplied with mating hook-and-loop material so that it can be pressed onto and removed from the stiffened body&#39;s outer face. 
         [0008]    These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below, in light of the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a belt system according to the invention, being worn by a salon worker. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the belt system of  FIG. 1 , with article holders in an exploded view relative to the belt. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the belt of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the belt system of  FIG. 1  being worn by a salon worker. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a belt system according to the invention is shown being worn by a salon worker W. The system comprises a belt  10 , and one or more detachable equipment holders  18  for holding and supporting various salon implements, supplies, tools and the like (hereafter “equipment”) such as coloring cup C, perm paper dispenser box B, and spray bottle S. It will be understood that detachable holders  18  can be modified to hold most types of equipment that a salon worker may need to have at-hand when standing and working on a client&#39;s hair or other needs in a table-free hair care task. Other equipment for which holders  18  can be used or modified include styling irons, perm bags, shear/razor/comb holders, clippers, brushes, and foil dispensers, without limitation. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , illustrated belt  10  has a stiffened main body section  12  with an outer end  12   a,  an inner end  12   b,  an outer face  12   c,  and a non-folding insert or backing  13  that is substantially contiguous with inner and outer fabric layers between which it is fixed, and that substantially prevents main body  12  from folding about its lengthwise axis A (shown in broken lines). The torsional (twisting or folding) stiffness of belt section  12  makes it difficult for upper edge  12   e  and lower edge  12   f  to be folded to any significant degree toward one another, and for outer face  12   c  to be folded or creased inwardly or outwardly by a salon worker&#39;s movements when the belt  10  is being worn. Stiffened section  12  is accordingly “non-folding” in this sense. 
         [0015]    The non-folding insert  13  can be multiple layers of stiff cloth such as (but not limited to) “sailcloth”, which is a very stiff fabric; a sheet of longitudinally flexible but torsionally stiff plastic material; or any other structure that allows the belt  10  to be curved around the wearer&#39;s waist and fastened closely and securely to the body, while preventing the outer face  12   c  from folding while being worn. The non-folding insert can be secured between the inner and outer faces of the belt by sewing, gluing, or otherwise fixing it between inner and outer layers of fabric. It might also be possible, depending on the insert material, to have a two-layer construction in which the insert forms the inside face of stiffened belt section  12 , without an inner covering layer of fabric. 
         [0016]    Belt  10  also has an elastic section  14  secured to the inner end  12   b  of the stiffened main body  12 , and a non-elastic, non-stiffened closure portion  16  secured to the other side of elastic  14  and forming the other end of belt  10 . Closure end  16  is shorter than stiffened section  12 , and elastic section  14  is shorter than closure end  16 . Closure end  16  can be detachably secured to the outer end  12   a  with various means, but in the illustrated, preferred form, the inner face  16   b  of closure end  16  is faced with a hook-and-loop material, and the outer face  12   c  of outer end  12   a  is faced with a mating portion of hook-and-loop material. The connection between closure end  16  and outer end  12   a  of the stiffened belt section  12  is infinitely adjustable over the length of closure end  16  for a secure and custom fit. When closure portion  16  is secured to the outer face of stiffened end  12   a,  elastic section  14  may be stretched somewhat for a snug fit, although it should not be tensioned to its full extent. Different sizes of belt are possible where the adjustability inherent in the elastic portion  14  is not enough. 
         [0017]    It will be understood that although elastic section  14  is shown as a solid section of fabric material, it could be discontinuous, for example in the form of spaced straps or bands of elastic material. The same is true of closure end  16 . Stiffened section  12  might also be non-solid, for example with perforations or interruptions in the material for weight-reduction or ventilation, but only to the extent that it does not compromise the non-folding nature of section  12 . 
         [0018]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , holders  18  are detachably secured to outer face  12   c  of stiffened main body portion  12 . The means for attaching can vary, but the illustrated and preferred example uses hook-and-loop, with most or all of the outer face  12   c  faced with hook-and-loop (for example, the “female” loop half), and inner faces of the holders  18  faced with mating hook-and-loop material (for example, the “male” hook half). 
         [0019]    Illustrated holders  18  are constructed according to a preferred form, in which they comprise flexible fabric attachment panels  20  backed on their inner faces  20   b  with hook-and-loop. The stiffened portion  12  of the belt is preferably wide enough to bridge the wearer&#39;s waist between hips and abdomen, for example on the order of six inches wide from upper edge to lower edge, and the attachment panels  20  are sized to be substantially fully mated with the outer face  12   c  of stiffened belt section  12 . Holders  18  also include equipment retainer portions  22  secured to the front faces of attachment panels  20 . Attachment panels  20  are also sized to be as wide or wider than their equipment retainer portions  22 , and to have upper edges  20   a  spaced above the upper edges  23  of retainer portions  22 . Attachment panels  20  allow the salon worker to attach even heavy, bulky items to belt  10  with one hand, by simply pressing the attachment panel to the outer face of stiffened belt section  12 . 
         [0020]    Retainer portions  22  of holders  14  can be rigid retainers, such as spray bottle cup  22   s,  or they can be flexible retainers such as the fabric perm paper pouch  22   p  or the fabric coloring cup retainer  22   c.  Retainer portions can have closed rigid or flexible bottoms, such as shown in retainers  22   s  and  22   p,  respectively, or open bottoms as shown in retainer  22   c.  Retainer portions  22  can be secured to flexible attachment panels  20  in various ways, for example with adhesive, sewing, or mechanical connectors, depending on the material and shape of the retainer portion  22 . 
         [0021]    Retainer portion  22   c  represents a preferred example especially useful and stable for heavy, rigid containers such as coloring cup C for holding contents that could splash or spill during use or when being inserted or removed in holder  18 . Retainer portion  22   c  is made from a flexible fabric such as nylon, and has a sidewall  24 , an open bottom  26  with flexible fabric support straps  28  for retaining the bottom of the coloring cup C. Straps  28  are arranged in a T configuration, with a cross-strap  28   a  running from one side to another, and a fore strap  28   b  running from attachment panel  20  forwardly to a junction with cross-strap  28 . The T-configuration of straps  28  leaves an open front area  32 , and spaces the bottom  26  of the retainer portion  22   c  from sidewall  24 . Sidewall  24  may be split, for example at  24   a,  to be opened up to receive the cup C from the front, and with a hook-and-loop closure to secure it in place around the cup. 
         [0022]    The spacing of retainer portions  22  below the upper edges of the attachment panels  20  has been found to keep the items being held in holders  18  very stable during use, improves access to the items as they are needed, and makes it easier to attach and detach the holders  18  with one hand, even when equipment such as spray bottles, paper boxes, coloring cups, and other items are in the holders  18 . 
         [0023]    Attachment panels  20  can optionally be provided with assist tabs such as  20   b,  useful for removing the panels  20  from the face of belt  10 . 
         [0024]    The fabrics and other materials used in the belt system comprising belt  10  and holders  18  can vary, and heavy-duty nylons, polyesters, and canvas materials are possible options. Plastics are preferred where more rigid materials are needed, although other rigid materials could be used. The definition of “fabric” should be construed broadly. 
         [0025]    While hook-and-loop is shown as the primary and preferred attachment means for detachably securing equipment holders  18  to belt  10 , other connectors may be possible, either in place of the hook-and-loop or in addition to the hook-and-loop. Magnetic, mechanical (e.g., snaps), or re-usable adhesive or static-cling type connections might be possible. 
       DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION 
       [0026]    In operation, the belt  10  is worn by salon worker W, who wraps the unsecured ends  12   a  and  16  around his or her waist, and fastens closure end  16  to outer stiffened end  12   a  so that the belt is snug. Equipment holders  18  can be applied before the belt  10  is put on, but more likely will be attached after the belt  10  is secured around the waist. The hook-and-loop attachment panels  20  allow the holders  18  to be attached to the belt whether the holders are holding equipment or not, easily with one hand. Holders  18  can be re-positioned virtually infinitely about the circumference of stiffened portion  12 , for a custom fit and placement suited to the salon worker&#39;s preference. 
         [0027]    The stiff, non-folding nature of main body  12  ensures that holders  18  cannot be accidentally popped or peeled off by the salon worker&#39;s movements, and are held in a stable and secure manner. Elastic section  14  provides enough localized flexibility to let the salon worker bend at the waist when needed. Non-elastic, non-stiffened closure end provides a secure, adjustable, custom-length fit around the waist without compromising the function of stiffened portion  12  or elastic section  14 . Elastic section  14  does not need to be stretched when fitting and securing the belt around the waist in order to function properly, since length adjustments are made with the adjustable overlap between closure end  16  and outer end  12   a  of stiffened section  12 . In normal use, elastic section  14  is substantially un-tensioned or only partially tensioned until the salon worker bends at the waist, at which point it yields or stretches an additional amount to allow some bending movement without placing strain on the stiffened section  12 . 
         [0028]    In the preceding description, various aspects and examples and configurations of making and using the invention as defined by the claimed subject matter (the “invention”) have been described, for purposes of explanation, to provide a thorough understanding of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferred forms of the invention, but are intended to be explanatory rather than limiting of the scope of the invention as defined by the claims below. Reasonable variations and modifications of the invention as disclosed in the foregoing written specification and drawings are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. It should further be understood that the use of the term “invention” in this written specification is not to be construed as a limiting term as to number of inventions or discoveries or the scope of any invention or discovery, but as a descriptive term which has been used conveniently to describe advances in science and the useful arts. The scope of the invention is accordingly defined by the following claims.