Towel holder apparatus

Abstract

The Invention is an apparatus for releasably holding a towel. A one-piece body defines a belt clip, a first flat spring and a second flat spring. The first and second flat springs define towel-engaging edges. The flat springs are curved so that the towel-engaging edges are proximal one to the other and define a gap. The spring rate of the flat springs and the gap are selected so that flat springs exerts an adequate force to the towel to securely retain the towel when the towel is placed between said first and said second towel-engaging edges in the center portion of the apparatus. The gap increases with longitudinal distance along the towel-engaging edges from the center portion of the apparatus, allowing insertion or removal of the towel.

1 . An apparatus for releasably holding a towel, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a one-piece body;   b. a belt clip defined by said body;   c. a first flat spring defined by said body, said first flat spring having a first end defining a first towel-engaging edge, said first flat spring being curved;   d. a second flat spring defined by said body, said second flat spring having a second end, said second end defining a second towel-engaging edge, said second flat spring being curved, said first and said second towel-engaging edges being proximal one to the other, said first and said second towel-engaging edges defining a gap thereinbetween, said first and said second flat springs having a spring rate, said spring rate and said gap being selected so that said first and said second flat spring exerts an adequate force to the towel to securely retain the towel when the towel is placed between said first and said second towel-engaging edges.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first flat spring and said second flat spring in combination define an interior volume having an upper portion, a lower portion and a center portion, said gap between said first and said second towel-engaging edges increasing with longitudinal distance of a location of measurement from said center portion, whereby a first part of the towel may be manually inserted through said gap in said upper or said lower portion and said towel may not be manually inserted through said gap in said central portion. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said interior volume being in a shape of a hollow flattened cylinder, said hollow flattened cylinder having an upper cylinder end and a lower cylinder end, said upper cylinder end and said lower cylinder end being open. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said body is formed a single piece of a polymer having a top, a first side and a second side. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , the apparatus further comprising:
 a. said top of said single piece of said polymer is curved to form said belt clip, said belt clip defining a belt clip axis of curvature, said belt clip axis of curvature falling on a plane;   b. said first and said second sides of single piece of said polymer each being curved to form said flattened cylinder, said first side having a first side axis of curvature, said second side having a second side axis of curvature, said first and said second axes of curvature being substantially normal to said plane.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said first and said second towel-engaging edges touch one another in said center portion of said interior volume. 
   
   
       7 . A towel holder apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a. A single piece of a polymer having a top, a first side and a second side;   b. a belt clip defined by said top of said single piece of said polymer, said belt clip having a belt clip axis of curvature, said belt clip axis of curvature falling upon a plane;   c. a first flat spring defined by said first side of said single piece of said polymer, said first flat spring being curved, said first flat spring having a first flat spring axis of curvature, said first flat spring axis of curvature being substantially normal to said plane;   d. a second flat spring defined by said second side of said single piece of said polymer, said second flat spring being curved, said second flat spring having a second flat spring axis of curvature, said second flat spring axis of curvature being substantially normal to said plane, said first flat spring and said second flat spring in combination being in the shape of a flattened cylinder, said flattened cylinder having an upper portion, a center portion and a lower portion;   d. a first towel-engaging edge defined by said first flat spring;   e. a second towel-engaging edge defined by said second flat spring, said first towel-engaging edge and said second towel-engaging edge being proximal one to the other;   f. a gap defined by said first and said second towel-engaging edges, said gap in said center portion of said flattened cylinder being selected to be too small to allow the towel to be inserted manually normal to the first and second towel-engaging edges, said gap in said top portion and said bottom portions of said flattened cylinder increasing with longitudinal distance from said center portion, said gap in said top and said bottom portions being selected to allow a first part of the towel to be placed manually through said gap normal to said first and said second towel engaging edges and within said interior volume of said flattened cylinder, whereby said first part of the towel may be inserted between the towel-engaging edges of the upper or lower portions of said flattened cylinder and the towel may then be moved to the center portion of the flattened cylinder, releasably retaining the towel.