Device for securing a towel

Abstract

A device for securing a towel includes a pair of opposed clamping members, adjoined at one end, free at the other end and defining an opening with a v-shaped space therebetween. The opening of the space is preferably sufficiently wide to engage at least two layers of a towel. The clamping members are generally rigid but sufficiently flexible so that they may be deflected to increase the space therebetween. The inner surfaces of the clamping members include protrusions to enhance gripping friction without snagging or damaging the towel. The face of the device provides space for an aesthetically pleasing design, logo or advertisement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:  
     
         1 . A device for releasably securing a towel, said device including: 
 a first clamping member having a free end, a joining end, a clamping side and a plurality of protrusions on the clamping side to frictionally engage a towel;    a second clamping member having a free end, a joining end, a clamping side and a plurality of protrusions on the clamping side to frictionally engage a towel;    said second clamping member and said first clamping member being joined at the joining end of the first clamping member and the joining end of the second clamping member by a joining means, said clamping side of said second clamping member being opposed and in spaced relation to said clamping side of said first clamping member to define an opening for frictionally engaging a towel between the clamping side of said first clamping member and the clamping side of said second clamping member.    
     
     
         2 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of protrusions on said first clamping member have geometries that will not damage a towel and said plurality of protrusions on said second clamping member have geometries that will not damage a towel.  
     
     
         3 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of protrusions on said first clamping member are comprised of a plurality of horizontal ridges and said plurality of protrusions on said second clamping member are comprised of a plurality of horizontal ridges.  
     
     
         4 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of horizontal ridges on said first clamping member are offset from said plurality of horizontal ridges on said second clamping member.  
     
     
         5 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 4 , wherein said first clamping member is flexible to allow a user to manually deflect said first clamping member so as to increase the width of said opening to facilitate releasing or engaging a towel.  
     
     
         6 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 5 , wherein said second clamping member is flexible to allow a user to manually deflect said second clamping member so as to increase the width of said opening to facilitate releasing or engaging a towel.  
     
     
         7 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 6 , wherein said first clamping member and said second clamping member are comprised of a plastic.  
     
     
         8 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 7 , wherein said joining means is comprised of a chemical bond.  
     
     
         9 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 1 , said device further comprising a means for hanging said device.  
     
     
         10 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 1 , said device further comprising a face for displaying one or more promotional indicia.  
     
     
         11 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of horizontal ridges on said first clamping member and said plurality of horizontal ridges on said second clamping member have an average height, and the maximum distance between the clamping side of said first clamping member and the clamping side of said second clamping member is approximately less than three times the average height of said horizontal ridges.  
     
     
         12 . A device for releasably securing a towel as in  claim 11 , wherein said towel has an uncompressed thickness and said average height is approximately equal to 0.25 to 1.25 times said uncompressed thickness.  
     
     
         13 . A method for securing a towel around a person's waist or torso using a device as in  claim 1 , said method comprising steps of wrapping the towel around said person's waist or torso such that the wrapped towel includes a free outer exposed end and one or more underlying wrapped layers of the towel, sliding the device down onto a portion of the towel at or near the free outer exposed end of the towel and a portion of one or more of said one or more underlying towel layers until the device securely engages the towel within the opening or space provided between the first and second clamping member.  
     
     
         14 . A method for securing a towel around a person's waist or torso as in  claim 13 , said method further comprising a step of displaying one or more promotional indicia on said device.  
     
     
         15 . A method for hanging a towel on an object using a device as in  claim 9 , said method comprising steps of sliding the device down onto a portion of the towel until the device securely engages the towel within the opening or space provided between the first and second clamping member, hanging the device on the object using said hanging means.