Apparatus for maintaining paired articles together during laundering

Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining paired articles together including a male member having a skewer with a pointed end, a female member having a axial hole for receiving the skewer therein, and an elastic tether configured to maintain the skewer in the axial hole, wherein the elastic tether is attached to the male and female members, and wherein the elastic tether has a length such that the elastic tether is under tension when the skewer is engaged in the axial hole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for maintaining paired articles together, comprising:
 a male member having a skewer with a pointed end;   a female member having a axial hole for receiving the skewer therein; and   an elastic member configured to maintain the skewer in the axial hole, wherein the elastic member is attached to the male and female members, and wherein the elastic member has a length such that the elastic member is under tension when the skewer is engaged in the axial hole.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the male member comprises a cylindrical body and the skewer extends axially from one end of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the female member is a cylindrical body and the axial hole is through one end of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the male member, the female member, the skewer, and the axial hole are axially aligned when the male member is engaged in the female member. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member attaches through a hole in a sidewall of each of the male member and the female member, the hole in the sidewall being axially perpendicular to the skewer and the axial hole of the respective male and female members. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a single elastic member having a relaxed length less than a total length of the male and female members when engaged. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member includes multiple elastic members connecting the male and female members. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is attached to ends of the male and female members opposite the respective skewer and axial hole. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the axial hole has a depth such that a portion of the skewer is exposed when the skewer is fully engaged in the axial hole. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for maintaining paired articles together during laundering, comprising:
 a first cylindrical body having a skewer with a pointed end extending axially from one end of the first cylindrical body;   a second cylindrical body having an axial hole for receiving the skewer therein; and   an elastic tether configured to maintain the skewer in the axial hole, wherein the elastic tether is attached to the first and second cylindrical bodies and is under tension when the skewer is engaged in the axial hole.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first cylindrical body, the second cylindrical body, the skewer, and the axial hole are axially aligned when the skewer is engaged in the axial hole. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elastic tether attaches through a hole in a sidewall of each of the first and second cylindrical bodies arranged axially perpendicular to the respective skewer and the axial hole of the first and second cylindrical bodies. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elastic tether is a single elastic member having a length in a relaxed state less than a distance between the holes in the sidewalls of the first and second cylindrical bodies when the skewer is fully engaged in the axial hole. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elastic tether includes multiple elastic members connecting the first and second cylindrical bodies. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elastic tether is attached to an end of the first cylindrical body opposite the skewer, and an end of the second cylindrical body opposite the axial hole. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the axial hole has a depth such that a portion of the skewer is exposed when the skewer is fully engaged in the axial hole. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for maintaining paired articles together during laundering, comprising:
 a first cylindrical body having a skewer with a pointed end extending axially from one end of the first cylindrical body;   a second cylindrical body having an axial hole for receiving the skewer therein; and   an elastic member configured to maintain the skewer in the axial hole, wherein the elastic member is attached to each of the first and second cylindrical bodies and is under tension when the skewer is engaged in the axial hole, and wherein the elastic member attaches through a hole in a sidewall of each of the first and second cylindrical bodies arranged axially perpendicular to the respective skewer and the axial hole of the first and second cylindrical bodies.