Patent Publication Number: US-2004055978-A1

Title: Hair dryer and accessory rack

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to bathroom accessories. More particularly this invention relates to a wall mountable rack which conveniently holds and store a hair dryer including its electric cord.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The inventor is a woman who regularly uses a hair dryer to blow dry her hair. The hair dryer rack disclosed herein is a solution she found to convenient and space saving storage for a bulky, irregularly shaped hair dryer which previously consumed a relatively large amount of her readily accessible available bathroom storage space. The rack she devised is especially convenient to use in as much as it can positioned on a wall with sufficient proximity to an electrical outlet so that a hair dryer held and stored therein can be used without the necessity of plugging it into the the electrical outlet prior to use, and unplugging it after each use prior to positioning it for storage.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] It is an object of this invention to disclose a superior method of storing a hair dryer. It is an object of this eliminate the step of uncoiling and plugging the electrical cord thereon into an electrical outlet. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a storage rack which is convenient to use and which saves limited readily accessible storage space in a bathroom for other purposes. It is a final object of this invention to disclose a storage rack which neatly stores and organizes personal care accessories which are routinely used together in a daily routine.  
       [0004] One aspect of this invention provides for a method of conveniently storing a hand held hair dryer comprising the steps of: providing a rack having a laterally projecting supporting member which has an opening therethrough sized to receive the hand held hair dryer; mounting the rack on a wall adjacent to an electrical outlet; positioning the hair dryer in the rack; plugging the electrical cord on the hair dryer into the electrical outlet so that the electrical cord hangs beneath the hair dryer in the rack and the electrical outlet; using the hair dryer; and finally, replacing the hair dryer in the opening in the storage rack without unplugging the hair dryer.  
       [0005] In a preferred aspect of this method the rack is fabricated from a clear acrylic plastic panel and comprises a rear side portion for attachment to the wall and a laterally projecting side portion having a rear edge portion attached to the rear side portion. Additional openings in the projecting side portion are provided to hold brushes.  
       [0006] Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     FIGURES OF THE INVENTION  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer and accessory rack mounted on a bathroom wall adjacent to an electrical outlet.  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the hair dryer and accessory rack shown in FIG. 1. 
    
    
     [0009] The following is a discussion and description of the preferred specific embodiments of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It should be noted that such discussion and description is not meant to unduly limit the scope of the invention.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0010] Turning now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 we have a perspective view of a hair dryer and accessory rack  20  mounted on a bathroom wall  18  adjacent to an electrical outlet  16 . A method of conveniently storing the hand held hair dryer  20  comprises the steps of: a) providing a rack  20  having a laterally projecting supporting member which has an opening  22  therethrough sized to receive the hand held hair dryer  14 ; b) mounting the rack on a wall  18  adjacent to an electrical outlet  16 ; positioning the hair dryer  14  in the rack  20 ; plugging an electrical cord  13  on the hair dryer  14  into the electrical outlet  16  so that the electrical cord  13  hangs beneath the hair dryer  14  in the rack  20  and the electrical outlet  16 ; using the hair dryer  14 ; and finally, replacing the hair dryer  14  in the opening  22  in the storage rack  20  without unplugging the hair dryer  14 .  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the hair dryer and accessory rack  20  shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 better shows the layout of a preferred embodiment of the rack  22 . The opening  22  for receipt of the hair dryer  14  does not fully circumscribe the hair dryer  14 . Most preferably the opening  22  has a frontal peripheral break  23  so that the electrical cord  13  on the hair dryer  14  can pass through the break  23  when the hair dryer  14  is positioned on or removed from the rack  20 . Most preferably the rack  20  further comprises two additional openings  25  sized to receive a hair brushes  12 . It has been contemplated that the rack  20  may be enlarged to accommodate further additional openings (not shown) sized to receive a water glass and/or toothbrushes.  
     [0012] In the most preferred embodiment of the invention the rack  20  is made of plastic and comprises a rear side portion  26  for attachment to the wall  18  and a laterally projecting side portion  28  having a rear edge portion attached to the rear side portion  26 . The side portions  26 , 28  of the rack  20  are fabricated from a clear acrylic plastic panel.  
     [0013] While the invention has been described with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.