Abstract:
This disclosure relates to the field of holders for the storage of hair care appliances and similar articles wherein the hair care appliances are stored (held) for immediate use. A thermal barrier clip for use with flat irons is also disclosed for use with the holder so as to improve safety and increase the lifespan of the flat iron. A hair dryer hook is also disclosed which allows for storage of a hair dryer with a diffuser attached.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 61/496,449, filed Jun. 13, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     This disclosure relates to the field of holders for the storage of hair care appliances and similar articles wherein the hair care appliances are stored (held) for immediate use. 
     2. Summary of the Disclosure 
     Disclosed herein is an appliance holder for hair care appliances with several novel components. The holder comprising: a base which in turn comprises a support surface, an upright portion extending from the support surface, the upright portion defining a support panel; a plurality of appliance holding tubes removably attached to the support surface; and a wall attachment system whereupon the base may be selectively attached to a vertical surface, or may alternatively rest upon a horizontal surface and wherein the appliance holding tubes are operable in either configuration. 
     The hair appliance holder as disclosed above may further comprise a clip removably attached to the support surface and offset from an adjacent hair appliance holding tube to provide a thermal barrier between the adjacent hair appliance tube and the clip. 
     The hair appliance holder may also be formed wherein the clip portion further comprises a plurality of wings extending from the clip portion and formed to maintain a heating element portion of a flat iron in thermal isolation from a heating element potion of the flat iron. 
     The hair appliance holder may further comprise: a hair dryer holding hook removably attached to the support surface. The hair dryer holding hook may further comprising a first arm and a second arm, with a gap provided between distal ends of the first and second arms to allow lateral passage of an exhaust port of the hair dryer. Lateral herein being a direction orthogonal to the major axis of the exhaust portion of the hair dryer. 
     The hair appliance holder may be arranged wherein the distal end of the first arm of the hair dryer hook is horizontally forward of the distal end of the second arm such that a net distance between the distal end of the second arm and the distal end of the first arm is greater than a vertical offset between the distal end of the second arm and the distal end of the first arm. 
     The hair care appliance holder may further comprise at least one malleable pad on the first arm and/or the second arm to reduce scratching and other damage, as well at to maintain the hair care appliance within the hook. 
     A hair dryer holding hook itself is also disclosed as novel in an of itself. The hook in one form comprising: a fastening system for removable attachment of the hair dryer holding hood to a support surface. The independent hook may also comprise a first arm and a second arm with a gap provided between distal ends of the first and second arms to allow lateral passage of an exhaust port of the hair dryer there between. 
     The hair dryer hook in one embodiment is arranged wherein the distal end of the first arm is horizontally forward of the distal end of the second arm such that a net distance between the distal end of the second arm and the distal end of the first arm is greater than a vertical offset between the distal end of the second arm and the distal end of the first arm. 
     The hair dryer hook may further comprise at least one malleable pad on the first arm and/or the second arm as previously discussed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front isometric view of a three appliance holder in a tabletop arrangement. 
         FIG. 2  is a front isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  in a wall-mounted arrangement. 
         FIG. 3  is a front isometric view of a four appliance holder in a tabletop arrangement. 
         FIG. 4  is a front isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  in a wall-mounted arrangement. 
         FIG. 5  is a front isometric view of a six appliance holder in a tabletop arrangement. 
         FIG. 6  is a front isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5  in a wall-mounted arrangement. 
         FIG. 7  is a side isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5  in a table-top arrangement holding two appliances. 
         FIG. 8  is a front isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5  in a wall-mounted arrangement holding two appliances. 
         FIG. 9  is a rear isometric assembly view of an embodiment for a table top arrangement. 
         FIG. 10  is a rear isometric assembly view of an embodiment for mounting on a vertical surface. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While hair appliance holders have been used for some time in barbershops, hair salons, beauty schools, and the home, a hair appliance holder which is adaptable for the particular desired configuration of the user is still desired. 
     In one form, the appliance holder is especially useful as being adaptable from a tabletop arrangement, to a wall mounted arrangement. In either configuration, the holder does not significantly hinder the use of any workspace. 
     Looking to  FIG. 1 , it can be seen how this embodiment of the modular appliance holding system  20  generally comprises a support  22 . The support in turn comprising a base  24 , bend  26 , upright portion  28  and attachment panel  30 .  FIG. 1  further shows one embodiment of the holding system as sitting upon or attached to a horizontal work surface such as a table, workbench, cabinet, or shelf. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  is substantially identical in these components; however, the base  24  is shown mounted to a vertical surface, such as a wall. In one form this embodiment is secured to the vertical surface by a plurality of fasteners  72  passed through a plurality of voids  32  and then screwed, bolted, riveted, or otherwise fastened to the vertical surface. As such, several of the components including the clip  40  and hook  48  may be attached in a different manner than that shown in  FIG. 1  if desired by the user. 
     Continuing with a description of the components shown in  FIG. 1 , the attachment panel  30  comprises a plurality of voids therein such as may be more easily seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Through these voids may be passed a fastener  68  to attach to a system of receiving tubes  34  (for example smaller tubes  38  and larger tubes  36 ) and/or other components. In one embodiment, the components each comprise an interior bottom wall comprising a surface defining a threaded void  70  for receiving and fastening of the fasteners  68 . By way of example, a larger tube  36 , may be utilized for curling or flat irons, hot combs, and similar appliances having a substantially large diameter, while a smaller tube  38  may be used for similar appliances having a relatively small diameter. In this disclosure, the term flat iron will be used to represent such appliances. 
     While tubes of different cross sections such as square, rectangle, triangle, or other geometries may be used, cylindrical tubes have been found to be easily constructed and utilized. 
     As it is known that it is often not desirous to have a flat iron closed such that the clamp portion is against the element or heating portion. In this disclosure, a clip  40  may be provided as shown in  FIG. 1  which may attach to the attachment panel  30  or alternatively directly to a portion of the tube  34 . This clip creates a heat insulating barrier between the clamp  42  and heating element  44  of a flat iron  46 . 
     In one form, the clips  40  include a pair of upwardly and outwardly extending wings  68  to maintain the clamp portion of the flat iron in the desired position. 
     Due to the design of the attachment system of the tubes  34 , clip  40 , hook  48  and other components, the components may be interchanged, or re-arranged as needed. For example, the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a single small tube  38  and a single large tube  36 . Although the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  utilizes a single larger tube  36   a  and a plurality of smaller tubes  38   a - c . It can also be seen how in this embodiment both the larger tube  36   a  and the smaller tube  38   b  have been fitted with clips  40   a  and  40   b.    
     In addition,  FIG. 5  for example shows two slightly different hooks  48   a  and  48   b  for use on right and left sides of the apparatus. When the apparatus is converted to use on a vertical surface as shown in  FIG. 6 , the hooks may be reversed as shown. 
     Looking to  FIGS. 4 and 7 , it can be seen how this arrangement of the modular appliance holding system  20  utilizes a three-tube embodiment with a singular hook  48  for holding of a hair dryer  60  or similar apparatus. As can be seen, this embodiment of the lower portion  50  of the clip  48  attaches to the attachment panel  30  and extends outward to a bend and then extends forward generally in alignment with the tubes  34 . A first engagement arm  52  extends therefrom and may incorporate a pad  54 , such as a nonskid, foam-like portion. A second arm  56  is also utilized in the same manner as the first arm  52 . As can be seen, a gap  58  between the outer edges of the first arm  52  and second arm  56  is large enough to accept the outlet or exhaust portion  62  of a hair dryer  60  (see  FIG. 8 ). In some applications, the hair dryer  60  may utilize a diffuser  64  or similar component, which commonly prohibits engagement of the hair dryer into prior holders. Thus, the operator must remove the diffuser before placing the hair dryer into such receivers (holders), or alternatively, the user may rest the hair dryer upon a work surface such as a countertop or shelf. This requirement of removing a diffuser prior to stowing the hair dryer is detrimental to use and often results in the hair dryer sliding off the work surface and impacting the floor. Such an impact with the floor or other hard surface is normally detrimental to the hair dryer. 
     As can be understood looking to one embodiment of the right hand hook  48  shown in  FIG. 2 , to place the hair dryer  60  in the hook  48 , the user may lift (rotate) the handle  74  of the hair dryer  60  to clear the arms  52  and  56 , reposition the hair dryer leftwards (laterally) into the receiving portion of the hook  48 . Normally the user would then lower (rotate) the handle  74  such that the exhaust port  62  would engage the inner portions of both arms  52  and  56 , thus holding the hair dryer  60  in place without any significant repositioning of the arms ( 52 / 56 ) of the hook  48  relative to each other. Upon rotation of the hair dryer  60  in a vertical plane, a lower surface  74  of the exhaust port  62  gravitationally rests upon an upper surface of the first arm  56 , and an upper surface  72  of the exhaust port  62  is rotationally biased against a lower surface of the second arm  56  at a point longitudinally forward of the contact point between the first arm and the exhaust port. If no large diffuser  64  or similar component is used, the exhaust portion  62  may be longitudinally inserted into the hook  48  in a traditional manner. In either case, no lateral force must be engaged against the system  20  to laterally position a hair dryer in place. These actions of placing a hair dryer in a right hand hook would be reversed to place a hair dryer in a left hand hook. 
     In another embodiment, the arms  52  and  56  may be slightly flexible, and deform away from each other slightly if the diameter of the hairdryer is larger than the net gap  58 . 
     Looking to the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , it can be seen how the apparatus may utilize a plurality of substantially mirror image hooks  48   a  and  48   b  on alternate sides of the support  22  as previously mentioned. It can also be seen by comparing  FIGS. 5 and 6 , how a hook  48   a  will be repositioned from one side to the other when the apparatus is converted from a free-standing or horizontal application as shown in  FIG. 5 , to a wall mounted operation as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     One significant advantage of the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5  and  7  is that the base  24  can be used as workspace to receive hairbrushes, combs and other elements while the overall apparatus does not significantly reduce the workspace available to an operator as the base  24  can be used as a substantially planar portion of the workspace. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  6 , and  8 , also clearly do not reduce the workspace available to an operator as these embodiments are attached to a wall or other substantially vertical surface such as a cabinet etc. 
     As the tubes  34  and hooks  48  are positioned above the base  24  in a table top arrangement, the base  24  provides a very stable platform, especially when the overall apparatus is made of a relatively heavy material, such as heavy gauge aluminum, steel, or high-density polymers. The base  24  may also be thermally isolated, and held from sliding across the surface of the workspace by feet  66  which can be seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  5 . 
     While the present invention is illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments are described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications within the scope of the appended claims will readily appear to those sufficed in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicants&#39; general concept.