They Invented What? (No. 147)

U.S. Patent No. 6,929,164: Neck wrap/brace for holding items and belt article holder for same.

 

What is claimed is:

1. A neck wrap/brace for holding items, comprising: a neck strap adapted to be wrapped about a neck of a person; a securing arrangement for securing together opposite ends of the neck strap in a loop configuration to be wrapped about the neck of the person; and a telephone holder secured to the neck strap and supported solely by said strap, the telephone holder including a mounting member mounted to said neck strap, and a telephone holding member secured to the mounting member and extending above an upper edge of the strap for holding a unitary body telephone having a microphone section and a speaker section adjacent an ear of the person when the neck strap is wrapped about the neck of the person, to enable the person to use the telephone in a hands-free manner.

2. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 1, wherein the strap functions as a neck brace to provide additional support for a head of the person and to restrict movement of the head of the person.

3. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 1, wherein the securing arrangement includes: a hook at a first end of the strap; and securing flaps at an opposite second end of the strap for securing together around the first end in order to trap the hook, thereby securing together said first and second ends of the strap.

4. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 3, wherein one of the securing flaps includes hook elements and the other of the securing flaps includes loop elements for releasably connecting with said hook elements.

5. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 3, wherein the securing arrangement further includes a band slidably secured around said strap for removably sliding over the secured together flaps.

6. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 1, wherein the telephone holding member includes a band through which a telephone can be frictionally inserted and removably held therein.

7. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 6, wherein said mounting member includes a band slidably mounted on said strap for movement therealong in order to adjust the telephone with respect to a person’s ear when the strap is wrapped about the neck of the person.

8. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional article holder mounted to the strap.

9. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 8, wherein the at least one additional article holder includes at least one of the following: a first article holder for holding at least one of money, candy, transportation cards, writing implements and cigarette lighters; and a second article holder for holding a pack of cigarettes.

10. A neck wrap/brace according to claim 9, wherein said at least one additional article holder is releasably secured to the strap.

11. A combination neck wrap/brace for holding items and belt article holder for carrying the neck wrap/brace, comprising: a neck wrap/brace including: a neck strap adapted to be wrapped about a neck of a person, a first securing arrangement for securing together opposite ends of the neck strap in a loop configuration to be wrapped about the neck of the person, and a telephone holder secured to the neck strap for holding a telephone adjacent an ear of the person when the strap is wrapped about the neck of the person, to enable the person to use the telephone in a hands-free manner; and a belt article holder including: a belt strap adapted to be wrapped about a waist of the person, a second securing arrangement for securing together opposite ends of the belt strap in a loop configuration to be wrapped about the waist of the person, and a neck wrap/brace holder on the strap for holding the neck wrap/brace when the neck wrap/brace is not wrapped about the neck of the person.

12. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 11, wherein the neck strap functions as a neck brace to provide additional support for a head of a person and to restrict movement of the head of the person.

13. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 11, wherein the first securing arrangement includes: a hook at a first end of the strap; and securing flaps at an opposite second end of the strap for securing together around the first end in order to trap the hook, thereby securing together said first and second ends of the strap.

14. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 11, wherein the second securing arrangement includes at least one first fastener at a first end of the second strap and at least one second fastener at a second end of the second strap for securing with said at least one first fastener at a connection position, thereby securing together said first and second ends of the second strap.

15. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 14, wherein the at least one first fastener includes hook elements and the at least one second fastener includes loop elements for releasably connecting with said hook elements.

16. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 14, wherein the second securing arrangement further includes securing flaps at the second end of the second strap for securing together around the first end of the second strap.

17. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 14, wherein the at least one first fastener is spaced away from an edge of said first end of the second strap and the at least one second fastener is spaced away from an edge of the second end of the second strap, such that the first and second ends extend outwardly as first and second end extensions in opposite directions from the connection position.

18. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 14, wherein each end extension includes a securing arrangement for releasably connecting with the securing arrangement of the other end extension, to form the neck wrap/brace holder as a loop extension of the strap for holding the neck wrap/brace when the neck wrap/brace is not wrapped about the neck of the person.

19. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 11, wherein the telephone holder includes: a mounting member mounted to said strap; and a telephone holding member for holding the telephone, secured to the mounting member.

20. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 19, wherein the telephone holding member includes a band through which a telephone can be frictionally inserted and removably held therein.

21. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 20, wherein said mounting member includes a band slidably mounted on said strap for movement therealong in order to adjust the telephone with respect to a person’s ear when the strap is wrapped about the neck of the person.

22. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 11, further comprising at least one first additional article holder mounted to at least one of: a) the first strap, and b) the second strap.

23. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 22, wherein the at least one additional article holder includes at least one of the following: a first article holder for holding at least one of money, candy, transportation cards, writing implements and cigarette lighters; a second article holder for holding a pack of cigarettes; a third article holder for holding writing paper; and a fourth article holder for holding a bottle.

24. A combination neck wrap/brace and belt article holder according to claim 22, wherein said at least one additional article holder is removably secured to at least one of the first strap and the second strap.