Frictional holding pad
View Patent ↗A frictional holding pad for removably attaching items, such as a cell phone or sunglasses, to a vehicle surface, such as a dash or console, to allow storage of items on the pad to prevent the items from shifting or sliding due to the movement of the vehicle. The holding pad includes a top surface having an uppermost contact surface configured to contact and frictionally cling to the item and a bottom surface having a lowermost contact surface configured to contact and frictionally cling to the vehicle surface. The top and the bottom surfaces are configured to provide a greater frictional engagement between the lowermost contact surface and the vehicle surface than the uppermost contact surface and the item. Protrusions or indentation can be formed in the top and bottom surfaces of the pad.
1. A frictional holding device in combination with a dashboard or console of a vehicle and receives and secures an item thereon, the combination comprising:
a) a dashboard or console of a vehicle;
b) a pad having top and bottom surfaces, the bottom surface having a lowermost contact surface that is disposed on and frictionally clings to the dashboard or console of the vehicle;
c) at least a substantial portion of the top surface being a contoured top surface with a plurality of separate and discrete indentations extending into the pad and having an uppermost contact surface;
d) an item, removably disposed on and frictionally clings to the uppermost contact surface of the pad, the item is selected from the group consisting of: a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a writing instrument, a pen, a pencil, sunglasses, eye glasses, a global positioning system, a radio, a two-way radio, a citizens band radio, a walkie-talkie, a camera, a video recorder, a cassette player/recorder, a mini-cassette recorder, a DVD player, a mini-disk player, and a portable television; and
e) the lowermost contact surface between the dashboard or console of the vehicle and the pad has a substantially greater surface area than the uppermost contact surface between the item and the pad.
2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a cross-sectional profile with linear sidewalls and a flat bottom.
3. The combination of claim 1 , further comprising the bottom surface with a plurality indentations similar to the indentations of the top surface.
4. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the size of the pad is substantially larger than the size of the item to create a substantially greater contact surface area between the bottom surface and the dashboard or console of the vehicle than the top surface and the item.
5. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a curved cross-sectional profile.
6. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
indicia, formed on the uppermost contact surface of the pad, the indicia being selected from the group consisting of: a logo, an advertisement, an instruction, a promotion, a company name, and a product name.
7. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the top surface includes at least two sections, including a first section that is substantially flat and has indicia thereon, and a second section that is contoured and configured to receive the item thereon.
8. A frictional holding device in combination with a dashboard or console of a vehicle and receives and secures an item thereon, the combination comprising:
a) a dashboard or console of a vehicle;
b) a pad that is substantially flat and having a bottom with a lowermost contact surface that is tacky and disposed on and frictionally clings to the dashboard or console of the vehicle in a mechanical fashion without adhesive, and a top;
c) the top having a contoured top surface that is tacky and extending over a majority of the top;
d) the contoured top surface having a plurality of separate and discrete indentations extending into the pad and having an uppermost contact surface;
e) an item, removably disposed on the uppermost contact surface of the pad in a mechanical fashion, the item is selected from the group consisting of: a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a global positioning system, a radio, a two-way radio, a citizens band radio, a walkie-talkie, a camera, a video recorder, a cassette player/recorder, a mini-cassette recorder, a DVD player, a mini-disk player, and a portable television; and
e) the lowermost contact surface between the dashboard or console of the vehicle and the pad has a substantially greater surface area than the uppermost contact surface between the item and the pad.
9. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a cross-sectional profile with linear sidewalls and a flat bottom.
10. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a curved cross-sectional profile.
11. The combination of claim 8 , further comprising the bottom surface with a plurality of protrusions or indentations.
12. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the size of the pad is substantially larger than the size of the item to create a substantially greater contact surface area between the bottom surface and the dashboard or console of the vehicle than the top surface and the item.
13. The combination of claim 8 , further comprising:
indicia, formed on the uppermost contact surface of the pad, the indicia being selected from the group consisting of: a logo, an advertisement, an instruction, a promotion, a company name, and a product name.
14. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the top surface includes at least two laterally adjacent and bordering sections, including a first section that is substantially flat and has indicia thereon, and a second section that is contoured and configured to receive the item thereon.
15. A frictional holding device in combination with a dashboard or console of a vehicle and receives and secures an item thereon, the combination comprising:
a) a dashboard or console of a vehicle;
b) a pad that is substantially flat and having a bottom with a lowermost contact surface that is disposed on and frictionally clings to the dashboard or console of the vehicle, and a top;
c) the top having two laterally adjacent and bordering sections, including
a first printable section that is substantially flat and has indicia thereon, and
a second section that has a contoured top surface;
d) the contoured top surface having a plurality of separate and discrete indentations and having an uppermost contact surface;
e) an item, removably disposed on the uppermost contact surface of the pad, the item is selected from the group consisting of: a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a global positioning system, a radio, a two-way radio, a citizens band radio, a walkie-talkie, a camera, a video recorder, a cassette player/recorder, a mini-cassette recorder, a DVD player, a mini-disk player, and a portable television; and
e) the lowermost contact surface between the dashboard or console of the vehicle and the pad has a substantially greater surface area than the uppermost contact surface between the item and the pad.
16. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a cross-sectional profile with linear sidewalls and a flat bottom.
17. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indentations includes an array or matrix of circular indentations, each indentation having a curved cross-sectional profile.
18. The combination of claim 15 , further comprising the bottom surface with a plurality of protrusions or indentations.
19. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the size of the pad is substantially larger than the size of the item to create a substantially greater contact surface area between the bottom surface and the dashboard or console of the vehicle than the top surface and the item.