US3783995A

US3783995A - Tie rack

Info

Publication number: US3783995A
Application number: US00271071A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Tobin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-07-12
Filing date: 1972-07-12
Publication date: 1974-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-08

Abstract

A tie rack specially suited for travel is formed of a sheet of plastic or leather having a hook and transverse openings with flaps near the top for holding ties. Other openings near the bottom hold cuff links, tie tacks, tie clips, rings and credit cards. A plastic sleeve, having an open bottom and a top central opening to receive the hook, is provided for covering the sheet, ties and articles.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Tobin [451 Jan. 8, 1974 TIE RACK 0205,257 7/1966 Hellinger et a]. 1. 06/251 Inventor: Robert A. Tobin, 67 Lake Bluff Dl9l,647 10/1961 Seeger D6/25l Rochester, NY. 14622 Przmary ExamznerLeonard Summer [22] Filed: July 12, 1972 AttorneyCumpston, Shaw & Stephens [21] Appl. No.: 271,071

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. c1 206/7 D, 211/89, 211/113, A tie rack specially Suited for travel is formed of a 223 131 1 13 251 sheet of plastic or leather having a hook and trans- 151 1m. (:1 865d 85/18, A47f 5/08, A47f 7/12 verse Openings with p near the p for holding ties- 58 Field of Se3rch.....; 206/7 D, 7 c, 7 H, Other p g near the bottom l uff links, tie 206/78 R; 21 1/89, 1 l3; D6/25l; 223/DIG, 1 tacks, tie clips, rings and credit cards. A plastic sleeve, having an open bottom and a top central opening to [56 References Ci receive the hook, is provided for covering the sheet,

UNITED STATES PATENTS and armles- 3,081,012 3/1963 Sanders 206/7 D X 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures a oooob EATENTEDJAN 81974 FIG-l FIG- 2 "rm RACK THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT Many tie racks have been proposed over the years, and they have included various features. The invention involves recognition of the need for a tie rack especially suited for travelling and combines many features for any optimum design of a travel tie rack that is more convenient, versatile, portable, and more easily used than any previously known tie rack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive tie rack has a generally rectangular, single-piece, injection-molded plastic body having a thin, flat, flexible central portion with a textured surface and a thickened beading along each longitudinal edge. The upper region of the central portion of the body has transverse openings between the side edge beadings and a movable flap in each of the transverse openings. Relatively high hinge lines between the flaps and the body let the flaps hinge open to receive ties in the transverse openings. The central portion also has openings for receiving and storing other articles. An integral, hanging hook at the top end of the body is made so the side edge beadings extend across the top edge of the body and along the edges of the hook to terminate in an upper portion of the hook spaced more than a closet bar diameter from the top edge of the body. The hook has a thin, flexible tip extending beyond the termination of the hook edge beadings toward the top edge of the body with the tip being bendable out of the plane of the body for moving the hook on or off the closet bar. A plastic sleeve covers the body, ties, and articles, and the sleeve has an open bottom, a top central opening to receive the hook, and shoulders to rest on the top edge of the body on opposite sides of the hook. A comparable tie rack can also be formed of leather, and the article-storing openings preferably include ring and credit-card storage openings.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive tie rack;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tie rack of FIG. 1, taken along the line 2 2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tie rack of FIG. 1, taken along the line 3 3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the inventive tie rack;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the tie rack of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a protective plastic sleeve for the tie racks of FIGS. 1 or 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Tie rack 10 of FIG. 1 is generally rectangular as illustrated and is injection molded ofa single piece of plastic to have a thin, flat, and flexible central portion 11 preferably having a textured surface for an attractive finish. A thickened beading 12 extends along each longitudinal edge of central portion 11 for stiffening tie rack 10 so that it is able to stand up by itself if leaned or propped against a wall or an object. Beadings 12 also help center ties on tie rack 10 and help spread open a protective plastic sleeve that fits over tie rack 10 as described below.

The upper portion of body 11 has transverse slots 13 forming openings normally covered by movable flaps 14. Relatively thin hinge lines 15 are molded in between flaps l4 and body 11 to allow flaps 14 to hinge open freely and repeatedly to receive ties in transverse slots or openings 13. As best shown in FIG. 3, flaps 14 can be pivoted open so that a folded tie can be inserted under a flap 14 to hang down on each side of tie rack 10 and be held in place by the resilient tendency of flap 14 to close on the folded tie.

Body 11 also has other openings 16 inside beadings 12 for receiving and storing tie tacks, pins, and the like. Larger openings 17 inside beadings 12 receive and store cuff-links, collar clips, tie clips, and the like.

Body 11 also preferably includes a ring storage device, two preferred forms of which are illustrated. Each preferred ring storer has a pair of spaced apart apertures 18 connected by a slit 19 or' 20. Slit 19 extends straight between apertures 18 so that a ring can be pushed into slit 19 by bending the plastic material adjacent slit 19 until opposite edges of the ring lodge in apertures 18 for storage. Slit 20 is curved as illustrated to provide an upright finger between apertures 18. The finger formed by slit 20 is bent outward from the plane of body 11 and a ring is slid down the finger until its opposite sides lodge in apertures 18.

Preferably near the bottom of body 11 is a creditcard storer having a projection 21: extending outward from the face of body 11 and a pair of spaced-apart edge clips 22 that are bent out from the plane of body 11 and have free ends 23 bent back toward the plane of body 11 as illustrated. A credit card can then be slid down between edge clips 22 to rest against projection 21 and be held in place by the resilient bias of edge clips 22. The injection molding of tie rack 10 allows projection 21 and edge clips 22 to be formed readily in the molding process.

The top of tie rack 10 has an integral hanging hook 24, and beadings 25 similar to beadings 12 extend across the top of tie rack 10 and follow along the oppo site side edges of hook 24 as illustrated. Beadings 25 have terminal ends 26 in an upper portion of hook 24 spaced from the top edge of tie rack 10 by a little more than the diameter of a closet bar. Hook 24 has an extension 27 going beyond the beading terminations 26 and curving downward toward the top of tie rack 10.

Extension 27 is formed of relatively thin plastic mate-' rial like body 11 so that it is flexible and can readily be bent from the plane of tie rack 10. I-Iook 24 can then be placed over or removed from a closet bar by bending extension 27 out of the plane of tie rack 10.

A protective sleeve 28 formed generally as a plastic tube is shaped to slide over tie rack 10 and any ties or other articles it contains for cleanliness and protection. Sleeve 28 has an open bottom 29, a top central opening 30, and sealed shoulders 31. Sleeve 28 can then be slid over tie rack 10 and its contents until'hook 24 emerges through opening 30, and shoulders 31 rest on the top of tie rack 10 on opposite sides of hook 24.

Tie rack 35 of FIGS. 4 and 5 has comparable characteristics but is formed of leather. A relatively thick piece of leather 36 has a top opening 37 to receive a hook 38 having a base bar 39. The top edge of leather piece 36 is looped over base bar 39 with hook 338 extending througb top opening 37, and stitching 41 secures loop 40 to leather piece 36 to anchor hook 38 in place.

Die-cut transverse slots 42 made in leather piece 36 form openings covered by flaps 43 for hinging aside to store ties as previously described. Openings l6 and 17 such as previously described are die-cut in leather piece 36, as are ring-holder openings 18 and their connecting slits l9 and 20. Stitching 44 extends along the side edges and bottom of leather piece 36, and. a creditcard holder is formed as a pocket 45 secured to leather piece 36 by stitching 46. Protective sleeve 28 can also be fitted over tie rack 35 if desired.

The inventive travel tie rack is sized to carry a few ties needed for a trip and to hold them neatly and conveniently in place in a tie rack that can be hung on a closet bar, laid down flat or leaned against something. The rack is quite manageable and easy to use, is attractive in appearance and durable and reliable in holding ties. It is also formed economically of simple materials and can be made in quantity. Besides holding ties, it carries or stores associated items of jewelry, including rings, and it can also carry and store credit cards.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, those skilled in the art will understand various materials, sizes, shapes and constructions that can be usd in making variations on the inventive tie rack.

I claim:

1. A tie rack comprising:

a. a generally rectangular, single-piece, injectionmolded plastic body having a thin, flat, flexible central portion with a textured surface and a thickened beading along each longitudinal edge;

b. the upper region of said central portion of said body having a plurality of transverse openings between said edge beadings;

c. a movable flap in each of said transverse openings;

d. relatively thin hinge lines between said body and said flaps so said flaps can hinge open to receive ties in said transverse openings with said ties held in place by said flaps;

e. said central portion having openings for receiving and storing articles;

f. an integral hanging hook at body;

g. said edge headings extending across the top edge of said body and along the edges of said hook;

h. said edge headings on said hook terminating in an upper portion of said hook spaced more than a closet bar diameter from said top edge of said body;

. said hook having a thin, flexible tip extending beyond said termination of said hook edge beading toward said top edge, said tip being bendable out of the plane of said body for moving said hook on or off said closet bar;

j. a plastic sleeve for covering said body, ties, and articles; and

k. said sleeve having an open bottom, a top central opening to receive said hook, and shoulders to rest on said top edge of said body on opposite sides of said hook.

2. The tie rack of claim 1 wherein said article-storing openings include a ring storing opening having a pair of spaced-apart apertures connected by a slit so that the plastic adjacent said slit can be bent from the plane of said body to insert a ring into said spaced apertures.

3. The tie rack of claim 2 wherein said slit curves to form an upright finger bendable from the plane of said body.

4. The tie rack of claim 1 wherein said article-storing openings include a projection and a pair of side clips bent out from the plane of said body above said projection and having free ends turned back toward the plane of said body so a credit card can be slid down between said side clips to be supported above said projection and resiliently gripped by said side clips.

the top end of said

Claims

1. A tie rack comprising: a. a generally rectangular, single-piece, injection-molded plastic body having a thin, flat, flexible central portion with a textured surface and a thickened beading along each longitudinal edge; b. the upper region of said central portion of said body having a plurality of transverse openings between said edge beadings; c. a movable flap in each of said transverse openings; d. relatively thin hinge lines between said body and said flaps so said flaps can hinge open to receive ties in said transverse openings with said ties held in place by said flaps; e. said central portion having openings for receiving and storing articles; f. an integral hanging hook at the top end of said body; g. said edge beadings extending across the top edge of said body and along the edges of said hook; h. said edge beadings on said hook terminating in an upper portion of said hook spaced more than a closet bar diameter from said top edge of said body; i. said hook having a thin, flexible tip extending beyond said termination of said hook edge beading toward said top edge, said tip being bendable out of the plane of said body for moving said hook on or off said closet bar; j. a plastic sleeve for covering said body, ties, and articles; and k. said sleeve having an open bottom, a top central opening to receive said hook, and shoulders to rest on said top edge of said body on opposite sides of said hook.