Pacifier storage assembly

Abstract

A novel pacifier storage assembly which comprises a pouch with a top opening for containing the pacifier and a strap for attaching the assembly to an external means, such as to a means for carrying the assembly.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a novel pacifier storage assembly which comprises a pouch for containing the pacifier and a strap attachable to an object external to the assembly, such as a means for carrying the assembly (e.g., diaper bag, knapsack).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pacifiers are often stored in a plastic container placed in a bag or purse or alternatively placed without a container in the bag or purse. This lack of a container is not sanitary and additionally, the pacifier is hard to find when needed.

Various pacifier storage devices have been disclosed. Examples include Des. 367,929, 360,694, 360,693, 358,653 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,708,363, 6,343,612 and 5,593,336.

However, there is a need for a assembly which keeps the pacifier clean and accessible. Therefore an object of the invention is to provide a pacifier storage assembly where the pacifier is both accessible and clean.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a pacifier storage assembly containing two components:

(a) a pouch having flexible wall surfaces and an opening allowing passage of a pacifier there through, said pouch being turnable to an inside-out state by passing said flexible walls through said opening and

(b) a strap of extended length and having a first end and a second end, said first strap being attached at said first strap end to said pouch, said second strap end being attachable to an object external to said pacifier storage assembly.

In a specific embodiment, the pouch is a cloth pouch. The opening of the pouch may also contain a means for preventing unintended pacifier escape from inside the pouch. In a particular embodiment, the cloth pouch and/or strap is made of antimicrobial and/or water absorbing material. Alternatively, the pouch may contain a water absorbable and/or antimicrobial lining.

The assembly may further comprise another or second strap. Thus, the pacifier storage assembly in another embodiment comprises:

(a) a pouch having flexible wall surfaces and an opening allowing passage of a pacifier there through, said pouch being turnable to an inside-out state by passing said flexible walls through said opening;

(b) a first strap of extended length and having a first end and a second end, said first strap being attached at said first strap end to said pouch, said second strap end being attachable to an object external to said pacifier storage assembly;

(c) a second strap having two ends, one said end being attached to said pouch, the second end being reversibly connectable to said pouch or said pacifier being releasably engagable by said second strap between the two ends of said second strap, in a normal state of said pouch, said second strap restraining said pacifier within said pouch and in said inside-out state said second strap restraining said second strap restraining said pacifier outside said pouch.

In particular, the second strap is at least twice and in one embodiment no more than 12 times the length of the first strap. In another embodiment, the first and second straps are located at opposite ends of said pouch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the pacifier storage assembly, partially cut away to show a stored pacifier.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the pacifier storage assembly.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the pacifier storage assembly where the pacifier (not shown) is inside the pacifier storage assembly.

FIG. 4 shows a front view inverted of the pacifier storage assembly where the pacifier is outside the pacifier storage assembly.

FIG. 5 shows a right side view of the pacifier storage assembly of FIG. 4 where the pacifier is outside the pacifier storage assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either both of those included limits are also included in the invention.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “and” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The invention is directed to a novel pacifier storage assembly 100. The assembly 100 comprises at least two components: a pouch 110 (see FIGS. 1-5) and a strap 120 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) attached to the pouch 110 and is of sufficient length to allow the assembly to be attached to a means (not shown) for carrying the assembly such as a shoulder bag, diaper bag, knapsack, stroller or baby carriage handle or even an article of clothing.

The pouch 110 has flexible wall surfaces and may be made of flexible plastic (e.g., material used in food storage bags or make up cases) or may be made of a cloth material. In one embodiment, the cloth is an antimicrobial and/or water-absorbent, permeable material, such as Gore-tex. In a particular embodiment, the material may be an antimicrobial fabric, such as a Crypton® fabric described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,565,265, 6,024,823, 6,165,920 or alternatively sprayed or coated with an antimicrobial substance. Alternatively, the pouch may contain a lining made of waterproof and/or antimicrobial material. In one embodiment, the lining may be placed into the interior of the pouch in its entirety or alternatively placed into the bottom of the pouch. The lining may be sewn into the pouch or removably attached to it. In a particular embodiment, the cloth may be reversible material, so as discussed in further detail below, the pouch may be turned inside out for better ease in obtaining the pacifier.

The pouch 110 is adapted and sized for holding a pacifier 130 by having a wide mouth, which may be about 2 to 5 inches in diameter through which the pacifier easily passes. In a particular embodiment, the pouch contains a means such as an elastic periphery 111 to at least partially close the pouch opening and obstruct unintentional release of the pacifier 130 from the pouch 110 (see FIGS. 1-5). In another embodiment, such means may be a drawstring or metal closure. In one embodiment, the pacifier 130 may be located inside the pouch 110. In another embodiment, the pacifier 130 may be located outside the pouch 110 and attached to the pouch via a strap 140 (see FIGS. 1, 4, 5).

In a specific embodiment, the pacifier is located loosely inside the pouch. As noted above, the pouch would contain means by which a pacifier would be prevented from unintentionally being released from the pouch.

In a related aspect, the pouch 110 is attached to the pacifier 130. In particular, the pacifier 130 is attached to the pouch via a strap 140 (see FIGS. 1, 4, 5), wherein the strap 140 is inserted through the loop 131 of the pacifier 130. Alternatively, the strap may be inserted through an aperture or hole on said pacifier. As a result, the user of the assembly 100 could retrieve a stored pacifier 130 by reaching inside the pouch 110 to retrieve the pacifier 130 or by turning the pouch 110 inside out and removing the pacifier 130 from the strap 140 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 for a depiction of the pacifier outside the pouch and attached to the pouch via said strap). As discussed in further detail below, the pouch 110 and pacifier 130 are separated by either unfastening the strap from the pouch or unfastening complementary fastening means on said strap. The strap 140 is adapted and sized, or is of sufficient length to attach and store the pacifier 130 inside the pouch 110. In a particular embodiment, the strap 140 is between about 1 to 5 inches in length and about ⅛ to about 1 inch wide. The strap 140 may be a cloth strap and may be made of the same material as the pouch 110.

In a specific embodiment, the strap 140 is fixedly attached to the inside of the pouch 110 at one strap end 141 and the pacifier 130 is restrained to the strap by passing the strap 140 through the pacifier loop 131 or alternatively through an opening in the pacifier. One end of the strap 140 is sewn onto the pouch 130 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The other strap end 142 is detachably connected to the inside of the pouch 110, e.g., with a snap fastener 143, 144. However, the strap 140 may be attached to the pouch 110 by other means such as complementary fasteners, which includes but is not limited to snaps, buttons, hooks, adhesive (e.g., Velcro®) tabs.

The pacifier storage assembly 100 of the present invention further comprises another strap 120 attached to the pouch 110, where the strap 120 is constructed and sized to allow the assembly of the present invention to be attached to an object external to the assembly, such as a means for carrying the assembly 100 of the present invention. In a particular embodiment, the strap 140 is a cloth strap. In yet another particular embodiment, the strap is an elastically extendible strap and is formed by encasing an elastic strap in cloth. In a most particular embodiment, the cloth is the same material as the cloth of the pouch. The strap is constructed and sized to allow the assembly to be attached to a means for carrying the assembly 100. Such a carrying means (not shown) may be a shoulder bag, knapsack or diaper bag, stroller or carriage handlebar. Alternatively, such a means may be an article of clothing. For example, the strap may be looped though a belt loop or inserted though a button hole. In a particular embodiment, one end 121 of the strap 120 is sewn or fastened onto the exterior, particularly, the top of the pouch (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4).

In another embodiment, the strap may further comprise a means for fastening 122 said strap to a means for carrying the assembly of the present invention (see FIG. 1). In a particular embodiment, the strap 120 comprises complementary fastening means. Examples of such a complementary fastening means 123, 124 include snaps, button, hooks, adhesive tabs (see FIGS. 3, 5). The strap should be constructed and sized so that the assembly of the present invention can be attached to a means for carrying said assembly. If the strap is too short, the user may not be able to attach the strap to the carrying means. If the strap is too long, the pouch will dangle and the pacifier may not be easily accessible. In a most particular embodiment, the strap is between about 4 and 12 inches in length and about ⅛ to about 1 inch in width.

In yet another particular embodiment, the strap 120 allowing the assembly to be attached to the carrying means and the strap 140 which facilitates attachment of the pacifier to the pouch are attached at opposite ends of the pouch. The strap 120 which attaches to a carrying means may be located at or near the top of the pouch 112 and the strap 140 which facilitates attachment of the pacifier to the pouch is located at the bottom of the pouch 113 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5).

The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments herein disclosed, since these embodiments are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Various references are cited herein, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Claims

1. A pacifier storage assembly comprising:

(a) a pouch having flexible wall surfaces and an opening allowing passage of a pacifier there through, said pouch being turnable to an inside-out state by passing said flexible walls through said opening;

(b) a first strap of extended length and having a first end and a second end, said first strap being attached at said first strap end to said pouch, said second strap end being attachable to an object external to said pacifier storage assembly;

(c) a second strap having two ends, one said end being attached to said pouch, the second end being reversibly connectable to said pouch or said pacifier being releasably engagable by said second strap between the two ends of said second strap, in a normal state of said pouch, said second strap restraining said pacifier within said pouch and in said inside-out state said second strap restraining said second strap restraining said pacifier outside said pouch.

2. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said pouch is a cloth pouch.

3. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 2, wherein said cloth is at least one of an antimicrobial or water absorbing material.

4. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 2, wherein said cloth pouch has an inside liner.

5. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 4, wherein said liner is an antimicrobial or water absorbing material.

6. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 4, wherein said first strap is elastically extendible.

7. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a peripheral elastic band around said opening, said band restricting an open area of said opening to prevent unintended pacifier escape from inside said pouch, wherein an external force on said band is required to expand said opening to allow passage of said pacifier from inside to outside said pouch and vice-versa.

8. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first strap is at least twice the length of said second strap.

9. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first strap is between about 4 inches to about 12 inches.

10. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second strap is between about 1 and 5 inches.

11. The pacifier storage assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second straps are at opposite ends of said pouch.

12. The pacifier storage assembly of claim 1, wherein the first strap is at the top of the pacifier and the second strap is at the bottom of the pacifier.

13. A pacifier storage assembly comprising:

(a) a cloth pouch having an opening allowing passage of a pacifier there through, wherein said opening contains a means for preventing unintended pacifier escape and

(b) a strap of extended length and having a first end and a second end, said strap being attached at said first strap end to said pouch, said second strap end being attachable to an object external to said pacifier storage assembly.

14. The pacifier storage assembly wherein said cloth pouch is at least one of an antimicrobial and a water absorbing material.

15. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 13, wherein said first strap is elastically extendible.

16. The pacifier storage assembly according to claim 13, wherein said means for preventing unintended pacifier escape is a peripheral elastic band around said opening, said band restricting an open area of said opening to present unintended pacifier escape from inside said pouch, wherein an external force on said band is required to expand said opening to allow passage of said pacifier from inside to outside said pouch and vice-versa.