Patent Publication Number: US-2005121352-A1

Title: Multi-purpose holder having a post

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates to a multi-purpose holder. More specifically,. the present invention relates to an improved multi-purpose holder having a central post to hold stationery articles and to prop decoration articles on top of the post.  
      A pencil case or a pencil holder is most used for keeping stationery items. Various pencil holders are in use for holding and keeping those items. However, such conventional pencil holders are inevitably exposed to tangling among pencils and pens inserted therein.  
      An increased demand is to ideally overcome such a tangling in the pencil holder and further satisfy a user&#39;s need. Another demand on the market is to enable the pencil holder to also prop decoration articles on top of the post. For example, those who love golf want to place a golf ball nearby for accessibility.  
      A further demand is to enable a pencil holder to include an article to facilitate holding and moving of the holder, preferably in form of a post that axially stands inside the holder.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, it is an object of a multi-purpose holder having a post according to the present invention to provide an improved multi-purpose holder having a central post to hold stationery articles and to simultaneously prop decoration articles on top of the post. Another object is to prevent tangling of pencils, pens and toothbrushes inserted therein.  
      To achieve these and other objects, the multi-purpose holder having a post according to the present invention comprises a container having a base and a peripheral wall. The base has an outer circumference, and the peripheral wall upwardly extends from about the outer circumference of the base for at least two inches in height.  
      A post having a mid portion, a top end and a bottom end is provided to have its bottom end attached to the base so as to enable the mid portion of the post to prevent pens, pencils and other items inserted into the container from tangling with each other. The top end may hold a decoration article thereon. Selectively, the bottom end may be detachably attached to the base.  
      In an embodiment, a plurality of protrusions radially extend from the peripheral wall toward the post to further prevent tangling of said pens, pencils, and other items. It is also preferred that the post is between about 1.0 inch and about 2.5 inches in diameter. The post is detachably attached to the base, cylindrical in shape, and taller than the peripheral wall. Also, the protrusions are formed along an upper rim of the peripheral wall, each semi-conic in shape to upwardly grow from-the outer circumference of the base, each semi-circular in shape when viewed atop, or each substantially circular in shape when viewed atop.  
      An advantage of the multi-purpose holder having a post according to the present invention is prevention of tangling of pencils and pens inserted therein by providing a post and protrusions along an inner periphery thereof. Another advantage is to allow the user to utilize the post as either a decoration object or a decoration tool allowing, for example, a golf ball to stay on top of the post, thereby satisfying a user&#39;s aesthetic desire associated with personal activities. In addition, the multi-purpose holder enables the post to serve as a handle that facilitates holding and moving of the holder, thereby maximizing usability and product reliability.  
      Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a multi-purpose holder according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the multi-purpose holder according to the present invention; and  
       FIG. 3  is another top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the multi-purpose holder  10  according to the present invention comprises a container  12  and a post  14 . The container  12  has a base  16  and a peripheral wall  18 . The base  16  has an outer circumference  20 . On or near the outer circumference  20 , the peripheral wall  18  extends upwardly. The container  12  can be shaped in cylindrical, polyhedral, or other known forms depending upon a user&#39;s need. Also, the peripheral wall  18  is preferred to have at least two inches in height. Here, the post  14  may be formed taller than the peripheral wall  18 . In a preferred version, the post  14  serves as a decoration article, for example, shaped after an animal or a cartoon character.  
      The post  14  has a mid portion  22 , a top end  24  and a bottom end  26 . The bottom end  26  is attached to the base  16  but the mid portion  22  is not directly attached to the peripheral wall  18 . In a preferred version, the bottom end  26  may be detachably attached to the base  16  using, for example, a set of bolt and nut. The middle portion  22  of the post  14  serves to separate pens  13 , pencils, toothbrushes and other stationery items inserted into the container  12 , thereby being useful in preventing tangling of said pens, pencils, toothbrushes and other stationery items. Further, the post  14  may serve as a handle to facilitate holding and moving of the holder  10 .  
      The bottom end  26  of the post  14  is attached to the base  16  so as to enable the mid portion  22  of the post  14  to prevent pens, pencils and other items inserted into the container  12  from tangling with each other, whereas the top end  24  of the post  14  is formed to hold a decoration article, such as a golf ball  15 , a table tennis ball, a base ball or other decoration items depending on the user&#39;s preference.  
      In this construction, a plurality of protrusions  28  are provided to radially extend from the peripheral wall  18  toward the post  14  to further prevent tangling of the pens, pencils, and other items. The post  14  is preferably formed between about 1.0 inch and about 2.5 inches in diameter. In a preferred version, the post  14  is cylindrical in shape. To optimize a tangling prevention, it is recommended that the protrusions  28  are formed along an upper rim  30  of the peripheral wall  16 .  
      For a better performance, the protrusions  30  are each semi-conic in shape to upwardly grow from the outer circumference of the base  16 . Selectively, the protrusions  28  are each semi-circular in shape when viewed atop, or substantially circular in shape when viewed atop.  
      As discussed above, advantages of the multi-purpose holder  10  according to the present invention are numerous. An advantage is to substantially prevent tangling of pencils and pens inserted therein in the container  12  by providing the protrusions  28  and the post  14 , thereby improving product reliability.  
      Another advantage of the present invention is to satisfy a user&#39;s aesthetic and decorative desire by allowing the user to utilize the post as either a decoration object or a decoration tool. As an example, a decoration statue or ball can be mounted on the top end  24  to enhance the look and feel. In addition, the multi-purpose holder  10  enables the post  14  to serve as a handle that facilitates holding and moving of the holder  10 , thereby maximizing usability and product reliability.  
      Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible by converting the aforementioned construction. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall not be limited by the specification specified above and the appended claims.