Personal carrying apparatus for electronic smoking devices

Abstract

An article holding apparatus for carrying an electronic smoking device on one's person includes a sleeve which is elongated between a top end and a bottom end. The top end is open to an interior space defined by the sleeve, and the sleeve is sized to receive the electronic smoking device into the interior space. A top closure is coupled to the sleeve at the top end which is configured to selectively close the top end of the sleeve. A mounting member is coupled to the sleeve proximate the top end which is configured to mount the sleeve to an article of clothing. The bottom end may also be open to the interior space so that the electronic smoking device may be charged while in the sleeve via a charging cord that enters the sleeve through the bottom end.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An article holding apparatus for an electronic smoking device, the apparatus comprising:
 a sleeve, the sleeve being elongated between a top end and a bottom end, the top end being open to an interior space defined by the sleeve, the sleeve being sized to receive the electronic smoking device into the interior space;   a top closure coupled to the sleeve at the top end, the top closure being configured to selectively close the top end of the sleeve; and   a mounting member coupled to the sleeve proximate the top end, the mounting member being configured to mount the sleeve to an article of clothing.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is sized and configured to conform to an exterior of the electronic smoking device when the electronic smoking device is positioned in the interior space. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a flexible material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top closure comprises a drawstring which is positioned in a channel defined by the sleeve, the channel extending around the interior space proximate the top end, the drawstring being cinchable against the sleeve to close the top end of the sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom end is open to the interior space of the sleeve, further comprising a bottom closure coupled to the sleeve at the bottom end which is configured to selectively close the bottom end. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the bottom closure comprises a pair of mating members which are positioned opposite each other across the interior space. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the bottom closure comprises a hook-and-loop fastener. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting member comprises:
 a housing;   a spool rotatably mounted in the housing;   a tether coupled at a fixed end to the spool, the tether being wound onto the spool and extending out of the housing, a free end of the tether being positioned outside of the housing, the free end being coupled to the sleeve;   a biasing member engaging the spool to wind the tether onto the spool and retract the tether into the housing.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the biasing member comprises a torsion spring. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting member further comprises a clip mounted on the housing, the clip comprising a resiliently flexible member which is biased toward the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a connector which couples the mounting member to the drawstring, the connector comprising a strap and a pair of coupling members, the strap being coupled to the mounting member, the coupling members being coupled to the strap and being spaced from each other, the coupling members being removably coupled to each other to form a closed loop with the strap. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pad configured to couple to a power button of the electronic smoking device, the pad having a thickness such that the pad is configured to form a protruding node in the sleeve when the electronic smoking device is positioned in the interior space of the sleeve. 
     
     
         12 . An article holding apparatus for an electronic smoking device, the apparatus comprising:
 a sleeve, the sleeve being elongated between a top end and a bottom end, each of the top end and the bottom end being open to an interior space defined by the sleeve, the sleeve being sized to receive the electronic smoking device into the interior space, the sleeve being sized and configured to conform to an exterior of the electronic smoking device when the electronic smoking device is positioned in the interior space, the sleeve comprising a flexible material;   a bottom closure coupled to the sleeve at the bottom end, the bottom closure comprising a pair of mating members which are positioned opposite each other across the interior space, the bottom closure comprising a hook-and-loop fastener;   a top closure coupled to the sleeve at the top end, the top closure comprising a drawstring which is positioned in a channel defined by the sleeve, the channel extending around the interior space proximate the top end, the drawstring being cinchable against the sleeve to close the top end of the sleeve;   a mounting member coupled to the sleeve proximate the top end, the mounting member comprising:
 a housing; 
 a spool rotatably mounted in the housing; 
 a tether coupled at a fixed end to the spool, the tether being wound onto the spool and extending out of the housing, a free end of the tether being positioned outside of the housing, the free end being coupled to the sleeve via the drawstring; 
 a biasing member engaging the spool to wind the tether onto the spool and retract the tether into the housing, the biasing member comprising a torsion spring; and 
 a clip mounted on the housing, the clip comprising a resiliently flexible member which is biased toward the housing; 
   a connector coupling the mounting member to the drawstring, the connector comprising a strap and a pair of coupling members, the strap being coupled to the free end of the tether, the coupling members being coupled to the strap and being spaced from each other, the coupling members being removably coupled to each other to form a closed loop with the strap, the closed loop of the strap interlocking with a looped portion of the drawstring; and   a pad configured to couple to a power button of the electronic smoking device, the pad having a thickness such that the pad is configured to form a protruding node in the sleeve when the electronic smoking device is positioned in the interior space of the sleeve.