Article for straps of clothing items

Abstract

The present invention relates to a resiliently flexible article and method for receiving and coupling two straps, etc., of a clothing item while providing support and comfort for the person wearing the clothing item. The article has generally planar dimensions with a thickness between top and bottom surfaces of the article and has only two holes for receiving the two straps, etc. The article when viewed at its top or bottom surface has an oblong shape with a major axis and a minor axis. The length of the article in the major axis direction is greater than its width in the minor axis direction. The two straps, etc., of the clothing item may be received through the two holes from the bottom side of the article and coupled together above the top surface of the article to rest on the top surface of the article between the two holes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article for use with an item of clothing, the article having generally planar dimensions with a top surface, a bottom surface and a side edge, the side edge being around the perimeter of the article, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the article are separated by a thickness of the article,
 wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the article have a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the length of the article in the direction of the major axis is greater than the width of the article in the direction of the minor axis,   wherein the article consists of two holes from the top surface to the bottom surface of the article, the two holes including a first hole and a second hole, and wherein the respective centers of the first hole and the second hole are positioned closer to a respective major lateral edge than to the center of the article.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the respective centers of the first hole and the second hole are aligned on the major axis of the article 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the respective centers of the first hole and the second hole are equidistant to the center of the article. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article is made of a resiliently flexible material. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the resiliently flexible material is silicone. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article is made of a resiliently flexible core material and an outer coating material. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article has an oval or elliptical shape. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the major axis and the minor axis of the article are perpendicular. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the article is in a range from about 1¾ inches to about 4 inches, and wherein the width of the article is in a range from about ¾ inch to about 1½ inches. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the article is in a range from about 2 inches to about 3 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the article is in a range from about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the article is about ⅛ inch. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the distance from the respective center of each of the first and second holes to the nearest major lateral edge of the article is in a range from about ¼ inch to about ½ inch. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the distance from the respective center of each of the first and second holes to the center of the article is in a range from about ½ inch to about 1 inch. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second holes are circular in shape. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second holes each have a diameter in a range from about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein each intermediate portion of the side edge between a neighboring pair of a major lateral edge and a minor side edge is straight or inwardly curved. 
     
     
         18 . An article for use with an item of clothing, the article having generally planar dimensions with a top surface, a bottom surface and a side edge, the side edge being around the perimeter of the article, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the article are separated by a thickness of the article,
 wherein the article has a major axis and a minor axis when viewed at the top or bottom surface of the article, wherein the length of the article in the direction of the major axis is greater than the width of the article in the direction of the minor axis, and   wherein the article has only two holes spanning the thickness of the article, the two holes including a first hole and a second hole, the respective centers of the first hole and the second hole being positioned approximately equidistantly from the center of the article.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising the following steps:
 (a) threading or pulling a first elongated coupling portion of a clothing item through a first hole of an article from the bottom side of the article;   (b) threading or pulling a second elongated coupling portion of the clothing item through a second hole of the article from the bottom side of the article; and   (c) coupling the first and second elongated coupling portions of the clothing item together above the top surface of the article,   wherein the article has generally planar dimensions with a top surface, a bottom surface and a side edge, the side edge being around the perimeter of the article, and the top surface and the bottom surface of the article being separated by a thickness of the article,   wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the article have a major axis and a minor axis, the length of the article in the direction of the major axis being greater than the width of the article in the direction of the minor axis, and   wherein the article consists of two holes through the article from the top surface to the bottom surface of the article, the two holes including the first hole and the second hole, wherein the respective centers of the first hole and the second hole are positioned closer to a respective major lateral edge than to the center of the article.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the coupling step (c) comprises tying the first and second elongated coupling portions together into a knot or bow. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second elongated coupling portions of the clothing item are situated on the top surface of the article between the first and second holes of the article after the coupling step (c).