Patent Publication Number: US-2009223846-A1

Title: Grooming tool caddy

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to tool storage devices and, in particular, to devices and methods for storing grooming tools. 
     2. Background Information 
     Grooming tools, including hair clippers, find frequent use in multiple applications, including barber shops, beauty salons, pet grooming and other facilities where hair is cut and styled. The hair stylist typically works from a desk, or “station,” maintained in a location and at an elevation to provide easy access to commonly used grooming tools. 
     Tools, including electric hair clippers, are often placed in a station drawer within reach of the hair stylist. During use, hair, oil, grease and other contaminants can adhere to the cutting head, including the stationary blade and the cutting blade. Since proper operation of the clipper requires a smooth, scissor-type cutting action between the stationary and cutting blades, any buildup on either blade or on the cutting head can interfere with the performance of the clipper. Clipper blades also require regular lubrication, often using a light oil, to provide free motion of the cutting blade across the stationary blade. Treatment of the clipper head with a disinfectant may be required by local custom, practice or health regulations, while treatment of the clipper head with perfume may be pleasing to consumers. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a general summary of several aspects of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of at least some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the claims. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows. 
     Disclosed is a grooming tool caddy. The caddy can include a caddy housing having a receiver adapted for receiving a clipper head. A clipper head protective member can be disposed within the receiver to protect the clipper head from damage. A fluid reservoir can be disposed within the caddy, remote from the receiver. 
     An exemplary method for storing and organizing grooming tools includes inserting a clipper headfirst into a caddy housing having a receiver that receives the clipper head. Protecting the clipper head using a clipper head protective member inserted within the receiver. Using a fluid from a fluid reservoir disposed remote from the receiver for periodic maintenance of the clipper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a detailed understanding of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the several non-limiting embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements have been given like numerals and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an orthogonal view of an illustrative, non-limiting, grooming tool caddy; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a plan view of the illustrative grooming tool caddy depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a side elevation view of the illustrative grooming tool caddy depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a front elevation view of the illustrative grooming tool caddy depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary grooming tool caddy having an accessory holder; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a side elevation view of the illustrative grooming tool caddy depicted in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a non-limiting example of a grooming tool caddy, demonstrating the positioning of an electric hair clipper; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a partial sectional view of an alternative, non-limiting “in-bench” grooming tool caddy fluid reservoir; 
         FIG. 9  depicts a plan view of a non-limiting “in-bench” grooming tool caddy receiver; 
         FIG. 10  depicts a front elevation view of a non-limiting grooming tool caddy; 
         FIG. 11  depicts a side elevation view of the non-limiting, caddy example of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , an illustrative non-limiting grooming tool caddy  100  is depicted according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The grooming tool caddy  100  includes a caddy housing  110  that may include one or more receivers  115  for receiving all or a portion of a hair clipper head assembly. At least one clipper head protective member  205  may be disposed in each receiver  115 . The receiver  115  may be disposed about the caddy housing  110 , and may include an inner and an outer surface suitable for receiving at least one grooming tool, for example a hair clipper having a clipper head assembly. The grooming tool caddy  100  may include at least one fluid reservoir  105  disposed remotely from the receivers  115 . The fluid reservoir  105  can be of any size, shape or configuration suitable for holding or containing one or more fluids. The fluid reservoir  105  in several non-limiting examples may have one or more independent fluid compartments. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the fluid reservoir  105  may be drawer or other telescoping member disposed within the caddy housing  110 . 
     The caddy housing  110  may be a hollow member having any partially or completely open or closed curved or polygonal exterior shape, including circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or any number of finite sides. All or a portion of the caddy housing  110  may be fabricated using a metal, including, but not limited to stainless steel, aluminum, corrosion resistant alloys or the like. All or a portion of the caddy housing  110  may be fabricated using a non-metallic material, including glass, plastics and/or solid polymer compounds which provide suitable resistance to corrosion and/or chemical attack. Examples of suitable non-metallic compounds can include, but are not limited to styrene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyphenylene oxide-styrene, nylon, glass filled nylon, polycarbonate, poly-vinyl chloride or the like. Alternatively, the caddy housing may be fabricated using composite construction, such as using one or more metallic and one or more non-metallic materials. 
     The fluid reservoir  105  may be a multi-sided, fluid-tight, open-top member disposed within the caddy housing  110 . While  FIGS. 1  through  FIG. 4  depict only a single fluid reservoir  105  disposed within the caddy housing  110 , any number of fluid reservoirs  105  may be disposed within the caddy housing  110 . Thus, two or more fluid reservoirs  105  may be disposed in, on or around the caddy housing  110  without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The fluid reservoir(s)  105  may be detachable or removable from the caddy housing  110  to permit cleaning and refilling of the fluid reservoir  105  at a location remote from the caddy housing  110 . The fluid reservoir  105  may be secured within the caddy housing  110  using one or more fasteners  130 . The one or more fasteners  130  can include, but are not limited to mechanical latches such as hook and loop, or magnetic latches. 
     The one or more receivers  115  may be disposed on any surface of the caddy housing  110 . Although  FIGS. 1 through 4  depict two receivers  115  disposed on the caddy housing  110 , any number of receivers  115  may be so disposed, for example a single receiver  115  or two or more receivers  115  may be disposed in, on, or around the caddy housing  110  without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The receivers  115  may be adapted for receiving the operative elements of a clipper head including the stationary and cutting blades, of one or more hair clippers. The receivers  115  can be disposed at any angle relative to the caddy housing, to provide for easy access and removal of the hair clipper by a stylist. The surfaces forming the receiver  115  may be of sufficient height, or the receiver  115  of sufficient depth, to prevent the hair clipper from being accidentally displaced from the receiver  115 . Clipper head or blade first insertion of the hair clipper into the receiver  115  permits a portion of the clipper hand grip to project from the receiver  115 , thereby facilitating easy access and removal of the hair clipper. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , one or more clipper head protective members  205  may be disposed within each of the receivers  115  to prevent damage to the clipper head and/or blades when the clipper head is inserted into the receiver  115 . The clipper head protective member  205  may be removable or otherwise detachable from the receiver  115  to facilitate cleaning or replacing of the clipper head protective member  205 . In several non-limiting embodiments, the clipper head protective member  205  may cover all or a portion of the inner surface of the receiver  115 . To minimize damage such as nicking, chipping, distortion or bending of the clipper blades upon insertion into the receiver  115 , the clipper head protective member  205  may be fabricated using one or more soft and/or resilient materials. Exemplary clipper head protective member  205  materials can include, but are not limited to buna rubber, polypropylene, polyethylene, urethane foams, polyurethane foams, and other similar soft, low durometer, resilient materials. The clipper head protective member  205  may be two or more sides of the receiver  115  that contact an edge of the clipper head while preventing direct contact with the clipper blades. 
     At least one member  135  having an inner and an outer surface may be disposed on the caddy housing, forming a moveable or removable lid or cover, providing access to the interior of the caddy housing  110 . The member  135  may be pivotably connected to the caddy housing  110  using at least one hinge  125 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the receiver  115  may be disposed on an outer surface of the member  135 . The hinge  125  may be positioned between the receiver  115  and the front of the caddy housing  110 , to allow the receiver  115  to pivot in a forward direction towards the front of the caddy housing  110 . Alternatively, the hinge  125  may be disposed to allow the receiver  115  to open in a rearward direction without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     At least one surface interface  120  may be disposed on an exterior surface of the caddy housing  110 . The surface interface  120  may be disposed on the exterior portion of the grooming tool caddy  100  proximate a stylist workstation for horizontal surface mounting or for wall mounting. The surface interface  120  may include, but is not limited to one or more pads, feet, suction cups, bean bags, hook-and-loop fasteners, adhesive tape, or any other similar material to mount the grooming tool caddy to one or more surfaces. The surface interface  120  may include one or more mounting devices such as slots or holes to permit mounting of the grooming tool caddy  100  to a wall or similar vertical surface. The surface interface  120  may be a weighted interface to provide a lower center of gravity and stability when holding hair clippers. 
     Although not shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , one or more fluids may be temporarily retained or permanently stored within the fluid reservoir  105 . Exemplary fluids may include one or more lubricating oils, coolants, cleaning fluids, sanitizers, perfumes, and/or antiseptics. The fluid reservoir  105  may be of sufficient size to permit the partial or complete immersion of a clipper head in the fluid contained within the fluid reservoir  105 . The clipper head, while disposed or immersed in the fluid reservoir  105 , may be attached to various types of clipper hand grips, generally of the type used for grooming human or animal hair. Typical, non-limiting, examples of such human hair clippers include the Oster 76 Classic Clipper, the Wahl Taper Wide Trimmer, and other similar design trimmers and/or clippers. Typical, non-limiting, examples of such animal hair clippers include the Oster Power Max 2 Speed Clipper, the Wahl Pro Series KM-2 Speed Clipper, and other similar design trimmers and/or clippers. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an illustrative grooming tool caddy  100  is depicted with the top member  135  with attached receivers  115  pivoted about a front mounted hinge  125  to a raised position, exposing an accessory holder  505  disposed within the caddy housing  110 . One or more holding members  510  can be disposed within the accessories holder  505 .  FIG. 6  depicts an illustrative side elevation view of the exemplary grooming tool caddy depicted in  FIG. 5  with the top member  135  pivoted about the front mounted hinge  125  to a raised position. The accessories holder  505  can be adapted to receive one or more hair clipper accessories such as clipper guards and combs. One or more partitions may be disposed within the caddy housing  110  to separate the accessories holder  510  from the fluid reservoir  115 . 
       FIG. 7  depicts a side elevation view of the illustrative, exemplary, grooming tool caddy  100  depicted in  FIG. 1 , with an illustrative clipper  705  inserted into the receiver  115 . While a single clipper  705  is depicted in  FIG. 7 , any number of similar clippers or other grooming tools can be disposed in each receiver  115 .  FIG. 7  illustrates that the hand clipper hand grip may be oriented in any desired direction with respect to a user for ease of access. 
       FIG. 8  depicts a partial sectional view of an alternative, non-limiting, “in-bench” grooming fluid reservoir  800 . The fluid reservoir  800  can include a shoulder  820 , having a lower surface  825 , disposed about an outer perimeter of the fluid reservoir  800 . The fluid reservoir  800  may be disposed in or on a mounting surface  830 , with the lower surface  825  of the shoulder  820  disposed proximate the mounting surface  830 . The shoulder  820  may include one or more hand tabs  810  to provide a convenient means for removing the fluid reservoir  800  from the mounting surface  830 . 
     One or more fluids  815  may be temporarily retained or permanently stored within the fluid reservoir  805 . Exemplary fluids may include one or more lubricating oils, coolants, cleaning fluids, sanitizers, perfumes, and/or antiseptics. The fluid reservoir  805  may be of sufficient size to permit partial or complete immersion of a clipper head in the fluid contained within the fluid reservoir  805 . 
       FIG. 9  depicts a plan view of an illustrative, alternative, non-limiting, “in-bench” housing  900 . The housing  900  may include a one or more receivers  910  having a clipper head protective member  905  disposed therein. A shoulder  820 , similar to the shoulder on the grooming fluid reservoir  800  described above and shown in  FIG. 8  may be disposed about an outer perimeter of the receiver  910 . The housing  900  may be disposed in or on a surface in substantially the same manner as the fluid reservoir  800 . Likewise, the housing shoulder  820  may include one or more  810  for removing the grooming tool caddy  900  from the surface. 
     A clipper head protective member  905  may be disposed on all or a portion of the inner surface of the receiver  910  to prevent damage to the clipper head or blades when a clipper head is inserted into the receiver  910 . The clipper head protective member  905 , according to several non-limiting examples, may be removed from the receiver  910  to facilitate cleaning or replacing the clipper head protective member  905 . To minimize damage such as nicking, chipping, distortion or bending of the clipper blades upon insertion into the receiver  910 , the clipper head protective member  905  may be fabricated using one or more soft and/or resilient materials. Exemplary clipper head protective member  905  materials can include, but are not limited to buna rubber, polypropylene, polyethylene, urethane foams, polyurethane foams, and other similar soft, low durometer, resilient materials. The clipper head protective member  905  may be two or more sides of the receiver  910  that contact an edge of the clipper head while preventing direct contact with the clipper blades. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a non-limiting, exemplary, grooming tool caddy  1000  suitable for mounting on a wall or other vertical surface is provided. The grooming tool caddy  1000  may include a caddy housing  1010  having at least one surface interface  1105  disposed on one or more exterior surfaces, for example on the rear of the caddy housing  1010 . The surface interface  11   05  can include, but is not limited to one or more wall mounting devices such as slots or holes to permit mounting of the grooming tool caddy  1000  to a wall or similar vertical surface. 
     At least one receiver  1015  may be disposed on a surface of the caddy housing  1010 . Although two side-by-side receivers  1015  are depicted in  FIG. 10 , any number of receivers may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the caddy housing  1010  in any order or frequency. At least one clipper head protective member  205 , hidden from view in  FIGS. 10  or  11 , may be disposed on an inner surface defining each receiver  1015 . 
     At least one fluid reservoir  1005  may be disposed in or on the caddy housing  1010 , remote from the receiver  1015 . As depicted in  FIG. 10 , the fluid reservoir  1005  may be a front-access drawer disposed within the caddy housing  1010 . The fluid reservoir  1005  may be removable or otherwise detachable from the caddy housing  1010 . At least one fastener  1030  may be used to secure the fluid reservoir  1005  to the caddy housing  1010 . 
     At least one accessory holder  1050  may be disposed in or on the caddy housing  1010 . A front-access accessory holder  1050 , permitting access to one or more accessories  1060  contained therein, is depicted in  FIG. 10 . At least one holding member  1055  may be disposed in the accessory holder  1050  to secure the one or more grooming tool accessories  1060  within the accessory holder  1050 . 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  depict an illustrative grooming tool caddy  1000  suitable for mounting on a wall or other vertical surface using the surface interface  1105 . As depicted in  FIG. 10 , the fluid reservoir  1005 , the receiver  1015  and the accessory housing  1050  can be arranged or otherwise configured to provide front access to all components. The materials of construction for the fluid reservoir  1005 , the caddy housing  1010 , and the at least one receiver  1015  may be substantially similar to the fluid reservoir  105 , the caddy housing  110  and the at least one receiver  115  described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 4  above. The grooming tool caddy  1000  surface interface  11   05  in other embodiments may include one or more feet as described above and shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4  at reference numeral  120 . In this manner, the grooming tool caddy  1000  may be placed or mounted on a horizontal surface such as with a stylist station top arrangement. 
     The present disclosure is to be taken as illustrative rather than as limiting the scope or nature of the claims below. Numerous modifications and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the disclosure, including use of equivalent functional and/or structural substitutes for elements described herein, use of equivalent functional couplings for couplings described herein, and/or use of equivalent functional actions for actions described herein. Such insubstantial variations are to be considered within the scope of the claims below.