Patent Publication Number: US-2013230679-A1

Title: Shoulder Strap Retainer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/634,670, filed on Mar. 5, 2012, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to non-slip devices and, more particularly, to a low profile, non-slip device for retaining a shoulder strap in the appropriate location. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Women&#39;s purses, handbags, etc. are normally supported by a strap attached to each end of the bag. The bottom portion of the strap rests on a person&#39;s shoulder while transporting the bag. The strap will usually have a smooth surface and can be made of leather, synthetic leather, vinyl, nylon, cotton or similar material. This portion of the strap has a tendency to have a relatively slippery surface, as does the wearer&#39;s shoulder, which is normally covered with an article of clothing. The slippery surfaces cause the bag to slip and fall off of the shoulder, especially while the person is in motion. This can cause purse contents to spill, and may also cause problems with the individual&#39;s ability to walk comfortably. This is of great annoyance to the bag carrier, and also allows a risk of theft of the bag as it is not securely held in place against one&#39;s shoulder. 
     To counter the tendency for the bag to slip off of one&#39;s shoulder, one must hold onto the bag with one or both hands. The person&#39;s hands are therefore not free to do other things, such as picking up objects while shopping or tending to children&#39;s needs. Also, in order to compensate for purse slippage, people will walk with their shoulders at an angle so that the shoulder supporting the purse is at a higher horizontal level than the opposite shoulder. This is an awkward position which can be uncomfortable for the wearer if maintained for a length of time, and it can cause balance problems for the purse wearer when walking. 
     Conventional solutions to strap slippage use large, obvious padding or a large rubber device with the strap threaded through slits in the device. Other solutions include devices intended to keep the purse strap against a specific area of one&#39;s shoulder by using various fasteners including, but not limited, to pins, magnets, and even Velcro. These options do not, however, take into account the aesthetic desires that are important to the owner of a purse or handbag. For instance, conventional approaches do not take into account the fashionable value of a woman&#39;s purse, and are rather unsightly from a fashion standpoint. Purses and handbags can be very expensive and distinctive, based on the characteristics of a brand. A person generally does not want the look of her purse altered by a device which is visible and distracts from the normal appearance of the purse. For fashion reasons, the use of a visible pad that changes the aesthetic appearance of a handbag or other fashion item is simply not desirable. 
     In addition, many conventional solutions are intended to be a permanent part of the purse strap. These devices often use a primitive material, such as foam padding in the shape of a rectangle, to be attached to the purse strap that has a tendency to degrade after prolonged use between points of friction. These solutions also use a rectangular design having exposed corners that can easily catch on other surfaces and may cause the device to peel off. Foam rubber degradation can also damage the clothing of the user through friction. Some conventional designs are also provided as part of kit that is time consuming to attached and/or detach as the system requires multiple steps in order to attach a device to the purse. None of the prior art devices have adequately solved the purse wearer&#39;s difficulties, as such devices have still allowed slippage and sometimes caused discomfort to the users of the devices. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device that can reduce slipping of the purse or handbag strap off of one&#39;s shoulder. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device which can be utilized to retain a shoulder strap in a desired position on one&#39;s shoulder, and thus prevent a shoulder strap from sliding off a user&#39;s shoulder when they move. 
     It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device which is inconspicuous and can be placed between the purse strap and shoulder without being visible. 
     It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device which can be easily modified, attached to the purse strap, and even cut to shape to adapt to various purse strap widths that will not detract from the appearance of the purse or bag. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device made of a material which is comfortable against a person&#39;s skin and clothing which will not break apart or easily degrade. 
     It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device made of a material with a high coefficient of friction which will prevent slippage. 
     It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device that can be quickly placed on a purse strap and thus does not require multiple steps to install. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device that will not easily peel off of the purse strap after it is applied. 
     It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device that can be manufactured inexpensively. 
     It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a device that can be removed from a shoulder strap and will not damage the strap. 
     In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention comprises a shoulder strap retainer including a flexible substrate having a high coefficient of friction, such as silicone or thermo-plastic rubber, an adhesive applied to one side of the substrate, and a removable cover positioned over the other side of the adhesive. Preferably, the substrate has a width that is equal to or less than the width of the strap to which it will be applied, and a length equal to or greater than the portion of the strap that is intended to make contact with the shoulder area of the user, whether covered by clothing or directly on the user&#39;s skin. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of a user wearing a retainer according to the present invention under the shoulder strap of a conventional handbag; 
         FIG. 2  is a close-up view of a retainer according to the present invention positioned under the shoulder strap; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a retainer according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1  a shoulder strap retainer  10  according to the present invention for preventing slippage of a shoulder strap  12  of a handbag  14  or similar item worn by a user  16 . It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that any item in addition to a purse or handbag  14  having shoulder strap  12  may benefit from the present invention. As seen in  FIG. 2 , retainer  10  is positioned on the underside of shoulder strap  12  so that it comes into contact with a user  16  that places the strap  12  of handbag  14  over his or her shoulder. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , retainer  10  is comprised of a flexible substrate  20 , such as a layer of silicone rubber or thermoplastic rubber, which is relative soft, e.g., a Shore A durometer hardness of less than 50, and has a high coefficient of friction, e.g., above 0.25 and preferably above 0.50, or is textured to provide a higher coefficient of friction. For example, substrate  20  may comprise a silicone eslatomer such as a combination of vinyl-terminated dimethyl vinyl methyl (siloxane and polysiloxane) of between 30 and 50 percent by weight, silicon dioxide of between 10 and 30 percent by weight, hydroxyl-terminated dimethyl (siloxane and polyusiloxane) of less than 10 percent by weight, and aluminum hydroxide of between 30 and 50 percent by weight. Preferably, substrate  20  is optically clear or translucent and has a tensile strength range from 4.0 to 12.5 MPa. 
     Substrate  20  extends along a single plane and is elongated to correspond to shoulder strap  12 . Preferably, substrate  20  is dimensioned to have a width equal to or less than the width of a shoulder strap, and a length equal to or greater than the portion of the shoulder strap that makes contact with the shoulder area of the users (whether bare or covered by clothing). Substrate  20  may be provided with a thickness of less than 2 millimeters and, preferably, about 1.5 millimeters. 
     Retainer  10  further comprises a layer of adhesive  22  applied to one side of substrate  20 . It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that the side of substrate  20  having the adhesive is intended to be positioned against shoulder strap  12  to hold retainer  10  in place, while the opposing side of substrate  20  is intended to contact the user, or the user&#39;s clothing. The high coefficient of friction of the non-adhesive side of substrate  20 , coupled with the weight of handbag  14 , will assist in retaining shoulder strap  12  is the proper location on the shoulder of the user and therefore prevent undesirable slippage of strap  12  while worn by a user. Because substrate  20  may be provided with a width that is the same or even less than the width of strap  12  and with a thickness that is about 1.5 millimeters it is generally not visible to others, particularly when retainer  10  is under load and compressed, and thus does not diminish the aesthetic appeal of handbag  14 . Retainer  10  may further include a layer of glossy paper strip  24  cut to the same area as adhesive that will easily peel off when retainer  10  is ready to be applied to strap  12  by a user. 
     Retainer  10  may be manufactured inexpensively by die-cutting the desired shape out of silicone or TPR sheeting. As an example, retainer  10  may be rectangularly shaped and die-cut to dimensions of 125 millimeters in length, 25 millimeters in width, and 1.5 millimeters in thickness. Preferably, retainer  10  includes rounded corners as seen in  FIG. 3  to reduce the opportunity for retainer  10  to catch on other surfaces or devices, or peel away from strap  12 . Retainer  10  may instead have straight sides and fully tapered ends that omit minor sides. 
     Adhesive  22  may be applied to one side of the silicone surface. Depending on the particular substrate  20  and adhesive  22 , it may be necessary to treat substrate  20  before applying adhesive  22 , such as with a corona treatment or other surface modification technique. Adhesive  22  may then be covered with glossy paper strip cut  24  to the same area as adhesive  22  that will easily peel off when retainer  10  is ready to be applied to strap  12  by a user. In a preferred embodiment, adhesive  22  and strip  24  are provided by applying a preconfigured double coated tape, such as No. 9448 High Performance Non-woven Double Coated Tape available from 3M of St. Paul, Minn. that is designed to bond together a wide variety of similar and dissimilar materials such as wood, metals, glass, papers, paints and many plastics and fabrics, as adhesive  22  must bind to both substrate  20  and strap  12 , which may be leather, fabric, or plastic. 
     A user of retainer  10  can easily secure it to strap  12  by peeling away paper strip  24  and adhering it to strap  12  by pressing retainer  10  against strap  12  until the adhesive bond retainer  10  in place. Depending on the adhesive  22 , retainer may be repositionable or reusable for a limited number of times. Strap  12  should also be cleaned of any debris or surface grime to improve adhesion of retainer  10 . 
     This present invention has been broadly described and those of skill in the should appreciate that the disclosed conception and exemplary embodiments can be used as the basis for designing or modifying other structures and methods for carrying out the same purpose of the present invention, and that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit of the invention in its broadest form. The exemplary embodiments presented herein illustrate the principles of the invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the aforementioned description showing and describing only the preferred embodiment of the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.