Towel, holder and method of hanging a towel to dry

Abstract

A towel, comprising a body of absorbent cloth including a connection arrangement for connection of the towel to a holder, the connection arrangement including a plurality of connection portions that is arranged on a line extending across the body, the connection portions being mounted to the body of the towel such that consecutive connection portions of the connection arrangement on the line are pliable relative to each other so as to allow folding and pulling taut of the cloth.

Description

[0001] The invention generally relates to a towel, a holder for a towel and a method of hanging a towel to dry.

[0002] Towels are commonly known, and are typically formed by a piece of absorbent cloth, in particular water absorbent cloth, that can be used for wiping and drying something wet. Towels are typically used to dry one's hands, face, or body after washing or bathing, or to dry dishes or a countertop of a kitchen after washing up. Towels can e.g. be used in commercial or professional settings such as hotels, spa's or offices, or e.g. in non-commercial or private settings, such as sports clubs or households. Towels are typically generally rectangular and are made in different sizes and of different types of material. Bath towels are typically relatively large and may e.g. be made of Egyptian cotton, while dishtowels are typically relatively small and may e.g. be made of a linen blend or a synthetic microfiber material.

[0003] After use, a towel is normally hung to dry out, so that wetness absorbed by the towel, typically water, can evaporate. Hanging of a towel for after use drying is typically done without auxiliary tools such as clothespins. Used towels are typically hung folded double over a holder e.g. a radiator, rack, tube or wire, or hung from a corner on a holder, e.g. a hook or peg. While this offers a way to hang the towel out to dry without use of clothespins or similar auxiliary tools, it is less satisfactory. In particular, it can be time consuming to hang a folded towel neatly to be esthetically pleasing, and a towel hanging from a corner is often perceived as untidy and less esthetically pleasing. Further, such conventional after use drying negatively affects the freshness of the towel. In particular, mold may form on the towel and bad odors may develop that require the towel to be laundered before it is actually soiled from use. Laundering towels is, however, labor intensive and requires a significant amount of resources such as clean water, detergent and energy.

[0004] The invention aims to counteract the above disadvantages, preferably while retaining the advantages and with minimal impact on the functionality of the towel.

[0005] Further, the invention aims to provide for after use hanging and drying of towels, in particular without auxiliary tools such as clothespins, which is convenient and esthetically pleasing. Still further, the invention aims to provide for after use hanging and drying of towels with which freshness of the towel can be retained longer, and with which a need to launder a towel before it is soiled from use may be reduced or prevented.

[0006] Thereto, the invention provides for a towel, in particular a towel according to claim 1, comprising a body of absorbent cloth, in particular water absorbent cloth, that includes a connection arrangement for connection of the towel to a holder. The connection arrangement includes a plurality of connection portions that are arranged on a line extending across the body. The connection portions are mounted to the body of the towel such that consecutive connection portions of the connection arrangement on the line are pliable relative to each other so as to allow folding and pulling taut of the cloth.

[0007] Including a connection arrangement with a plurality of connection portions that are arranged on a line extending across the body in the towel allows for convenient easy foldless connection of the towel to a holder without need for auxiliary tools, by connecting the connection portions to the holder along their line. Such foldless connection is neat and esthetically pleasing. In addition, it has been found that drying without folds significantly contributes to the retention of freshness of a towel, as it optimizes surface availability for drying. Typically, without folds a towel may dry 2-3 times faster than with folds. This reduces the time that is available for bacterial and fungal growth, and significantly reduces development of odors. Mounting the connection portions to the body of the towel such that consecutive connection portions of the connection arrangement on the line are pliable relative to each other so as to allow folding and pulling taut of the cloth minimizes impact on the functionality of the towel yet allows the towel to be brought in a foldless state relatively easily.

[0008] The connection portions may be arranged on a straight line, but may e.g. also be arranged on a curved line. Consecutive connection portions may be part of a single connection arrangement, for example a continuous band, a strip, a wire or a chain. The consecutive connection portions may be discrete and interspaced, for example a row of interspaced connection portions. The plurality of connection portions may be 2, preferably 3, more preferably a multitude of at least 4 connection portions. The connecting portions may e.g. be interconnected to form a chain, and may e.g. be discrete and interspaced. The connection portions may be connected directly, or indirectly via connectors or via a carrier. A connection arrangement may e.g. include 10-50 connection portions. The lower end of the range may be lower, e.g. 5, and the higher end of the range may be higher, e.g. 100, 250 or 1.000. This may e.g. depend on the size and interspacing of the connection portions. The connection portions may extend continuous, but may be interspaced at a constant or varying distance, e.g. a distance of e.g. 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 or 500 mm or more. The dimension of the interspaced connection portions may range from several mm, e.g. 1×1×0.5 mm and may typically be smaller than 20×20×20 mm. The connection portions may typically be formed as beads that are interconnected by connectors, such as a metal chain of hollow steel beads of the type that is often used for roller blinds or for military dog tags. The connection portions may also be formed as elements that are clamped on a string as connector, or may be formed as a flexible wire, e.g. a thin metal strip or a flat braided metal wire. Such wire may be woven into the fabric of the towel, e.g. as a weft wire. Connection portions may be carried together on a common carrier that is connected to the towel, or may be connected to the towel individually. By fixedly mounting the connection portions to the towel it can be achieved that the connection portions maintain a fixed position on the towel, which facilitates and enhances arranging the towel neatly on the holder. Such fixed mounting may involve direct or indirect mounting. The connection portions may e.g. individually laid down with interspace on a line extending along a short edge of the towel, e.g. directly on the towel and connected thereto with glue, or on an adhesive side of a wear resistant protective band that is laid down on the towel. Additionally or alternatively, the connection portions may be provided individually on a line or on a common carrier without glue or an adhesive side of a wear resistant protective band. Instead the connection portions may be fixed to the towel via the structural features of the fabric of the towel, e.g. via piles or loops present in the fabric or due to the friction provided between the connection portions and the fabric of the towel. The edge of the towel may then be folded back on itself and sewn closed, so that the connection portions extend along the very edge of the towel. The connection portions can be relatively stiff and the towel and / or the carrier can provide for a relatively flexible connection between the connection portion. The connection portions and their interspace can be chosen to be small, e.g. several mm, so that the connection arrangement can form a flexible line that extends continuously along an edge of the towel. Elegantly, such connection arrangement is embedded in the towel, and is located at the very edge of the towel.

[0009] The phrase ‘pliable relative to each other’ should be understood in this context as that consecutive connection portions can translate and / or rotate relative to each other together with the cloth. Preferably the pliable arrangement of the connection portions that are mounted to the towel such that it allows folding of the cloth about a fold line extending transversely to a line on which the connection portions are arranged, and / or that it allows pulling the towel taut along the line on which the connection portions are arranged. Preferably, the pliable arrangement of the connection portions that are mounted to the towel is such that it allows the connection portions to have 3 degrees of freedom of movement relative to each other, such as movement along or about a X and Y axis in a plane of the body of the towel and a Z-axis transverse to the plane of the body of the towel and rotations about these axis. The movement may be combination of rotation and translation. The connection portions may be mounted to the towel to have 6 degrees of freedom. The freedom of movement may be limited. The freedom of movement of the connection portions about or along the respective axes may be limited by the connection of the connection portions, e.g. by interconnection via cloth or connecting structure.

[0010] The cloth may be woven or non-woven, fibrous or non-fibrous and may in particular be household textile, synthetic or natural, and may preferably comprise or be an organic material such as cotton. The cloth may have or may be provided with anti-bacterial and / or anti-fungal properties.

[0011] The connection portions can be arranged for magnetic coupling with the holder. This way, coupling to and removal from the holder may be facilitated. At least some, preferably all, connection portions are arranged for magnetic coupling with the holder. The connection portions may be magnetic, and may then include magnetic material. The coupling portions may include strong or weak magnets, or a mixture thereof. Alternatively or in addition, the connection portions may provide for non-magnetic coupling and may for example include apertures or loops that cooperate in form locking with pegs or hooks on a holder, or Velcro. The connection portions may be contoured to match a contour of the holder, for example profile with a T, V or U shaped cross section in the direction transverse to the plane of the body of the towel.

[0012] The connection portions can be magnetizable. At least some, preferably all, of the connection portions can include or can be made out of magnetizable material, preferably a non-magnetic magnetizable material to prevent attraction to a washing machine or to prevent interference with medical equipment such as a pace-maker. Such a material can be stainless steel, preferably martensitic stainless steel.

[0013] The connection portions can include a contact area for cooperation with the holder. The connection portions may be in direct or indirect contact with the corresponding contact area on the holder. The connection portions may e.g. be in indirect cooperation with the holder due to being covered by the fabric of the towel and / or sheeting material, e.g. sheeting material of an envelope that envelops the connection portion. Such towel fabric or sheeting material may in practice be interposed between the connection portion-in particular a contact area thereof-and the holder. The contact area may be planar. Such planar contact area can increase the contact area of the connection portions to the holder, which may be in particular useful to increase the strength of the magnetic connection. The planar contact area can be arranged to extend in or parallel to the body of the towel, and for example can be provided as a flat surface. A planar contact area may e.g. be embodied as a flat surface of beads or flat links that form a chain of connection portions. At least some connection portions can include a planar contact area, preferably all connection portions comprise planar contact areas.

[0014] The connection arrangement can be water resistant, in particular corrosion resistant. At least some, preferably all connection portions and / or interconnecting structures are made of water-and corrosion resistant materials. Additionally or alternatively, the connection portions and / or interconnecting structures are covered or coated with one or more layers of water-and corrosion resistant protective material, for example a bioplastic. The connection arrangement and / or connection portions can be covered by a cover, enclosure, sheathing or casing of e.g. esthetic, smoothing, wear resistant and / or shielding material such as e.g. PU or Kevlar. Covering the connection arrangement by a wear resistant material can mitigate wear of the material of the body of the towel, e.g. relatively hard magnets wearing through relatively soft fabric of the towel body due to rubbing movement in laundry cycles.

[0015] The connection portions can be embedded in the body of the towel. At least some, preferably all, connection portions can be covered by cloth. Preferably, the connection portions are connected to the body of the towel via a permanent connection. Alternatively, the connection portions can be releasably connected, e.g. via a zipper or in a pocket of the towel, so that the towel can be washed with its connection arrangement removed, e.g. while the connection arrangement is used on a fresh towel.

[0016] The connection portions can be included in a seam of the towel. For example, the connection portions can be sewn in to form a welt or piping of the towel. The connection arrangement itself can then be invisible or unnoticeable. The welt or piping can be decorative and / or distinctive. The towel may at the location of the connection portions or at the location of the connection arrangement be provided with indicia to indicate to the location of the connection portions or connection arrangement to the user. Such indicia may be visual and / or tactile indicia, and may e.g. include an area of the body of contrasting texture, material and / or color. The connection arrangement can be included in a seam of the towel. The cloth of the towel may be or reduced thickness at the location of contact areas of the connection portions to facilitate magnetic coupling with the holder. Such reduced thickness may be provided by locally shaving off loops off a cotton terry cloth towel. As an alternative, the towel may at the connection portions be locally provided with thinner material. The thickness of the towel may vary. The towel may e.g. be provided with a soft relatively thick band for dabbing of a face, e.g. at a top of the towel, and may e.g. be provided with a relatively thin band to facilitate drying between toes and fingers, e.g. at a bottom of the towel. Such thick band at the top of the towel may e.g. have a height chosen from the range of 2-20 cm, preferably 5 -15 cm, as measured from a top edge of the towel, and such thin band at the bottom of the towel may e.g. have a height of chosen from the range of 1-10 cm, preferably 2-5 as measured from a bottom edge of the towel. In general, a top ⅓ or ½ of the longitudinal side of the body portion of the towel may be thicker, e.g. with long pile warps (loops), than a bottom ⅔ or ½ of the longitudinal side of the body portion of the towel, without or with shorter plie warps (loops). A towel with a body portion that is provided with such band(s) may also advantageously be provided on a conventional towel, i.e. without the connection arrangement discussed herein.

[0017] The connection arrangement can be included in an edge of the towel. This facilitates that a towel can hang freely downward from a connected edge, which facilitates drying. The connection arrangement can extend along the edge of the towel. The connection portions can extend up to the corners of the edges of the towel, so as to ensure that the edges of the towel are neatly connected to the holder. The connection arrangement can extend along the full edge of the towel, for example preferably along the short longitudinal side of a substantially rectangular body of the towel. This way, a towel can be attached very neatly to the solder. The edge can be straight, in which the connection portions along the edge can be provided in particular the middle part of the edge between corners to counteract sagging. The edge can also be slanted or contoured, for example to match a slant or contour of the holder, for example to facilitate connection or to increase the appearance of the edge of the towel forming a straight, horizontal line. Alternatively, contouring of the towel can be used to camouflage sagging, for example by having the edge forming a convex, concave, V-shaped or inclined line.

[0018] The contact areas of connection portions can face outward from the body of the towel, and preferably a plane trough the contact areas extends transversely to the plane of the body. This way, the contacting portions of the towel may be arranged such that, when connected to the holder, the body of the towel abuts with its edge to the holder. This way, the towel can extend downward from the contact area to hang free to allow for optimal drying, for example with only a thin layer of cloth or wear resistant material present between the connection arrangement and the holder.

[0019] Furthermore, the invention provides for a holder for a towel, in particular for a towel as described above and a base for mounting to a support surface, e.g. a wall, door, cabinet or ceiling, and a connector that includes one or more cantilevered connection portions that are arranged on a line. The support surface may conveniently be an upright surface. Such cantilevering promotes that the body of the towel is spaced away from the support surface, so that air may more easily pass along the surface of the body, which facilitates drying. If the towel hangs free, such that the body of the towel does not touch a surface except for where the connection arrangement is provided, the speed of drying of the towel can be improved. The base can comprise a continuous face as base. The base can comprise one or two or more interspaced feet. Such interspace between the feet can further facilitate passage of air. Furthermore, such feet can help with the free-hanging of the towel, when a towel is suspended from the holder.

[0020] The holder may include a single connection portion per towel to be connected, but may also comprise a plurality of connection portions. The connection portions of the holder can include permanent magnetic material. More specifically, the connection portions of the holder can comprise one or more permanent magnets. The connection portions of the holder can comprise a plurality of permanent magnets, which e.g. may be interspaced. In the context of this disclosure, the term ‘permanent magnet’ is meant to refer to a magnet that is designed to continuously be a source of magnetic flux without external power, e.g. as opposed to an electro magnet or iron. Such permanent magnet may e.g. be made of material that is magnetic or that has been made to permanently be magnetic.

[0021] As an alternative, the connection portions of the holder may include electro magnets, which may e.g. be motion controlled, and of which the remnant magnetic forces may be used to retain a towel after switch off of power to the magnet after a coupling operation. Furthermore, the connection portions of the holder can include flux conductors, which can for example be small magnetically conductive plates, e.g. on opposite lateral sides of the magnet. Such plates may e.g. be made of steel or magnetically conductive RVS. Such flux conductors may be used to focus the magnetic flux, so that connection of the towel to the holder is facilitated. In particular, the flux conductors may focus the magnetic flux into a beam, e.g. a beam that extends form the holder in a connection plane that correspond to a plane in which the towel is to be hung. A connection portion of the holder may be embodied as a single magnetic bar, e.g. of 70×2×2 cm that is sandwiched between continuous metal plates as flux conductors, and the holder may e.g. simply be embodied as such a bar that is cantilevered with two interspaced arms for mounting it to the wall.

[0022] The intensity of the magnetic flux may vary along the holder. The magnetic flux of the connection portions at edges and / or the center of the holder may e.g. be focused to forcefully engage connection portions at the edges and / or the center of the towel that can be manually brought into close proximity relatively precisely for primary local engagement of a line of connection of the towel, while the magnetic flux of intermediately placed connection portions may be less focused so as to allow the intermediate portions to perform automatic secondary engagement along the remaining portion of the line of connection. Such variation of intensity may be realized by using stronger magnets, but may also be realized using flux conductors. In particular, a magnet that is sandwiched between metal plates as flux conductors may at the free ends have increased magnetic intensity due to concentration of flux.

[0023] The connector can include a bar in which the connection portions are housed and a face of the bar providing a contact area for cooperation with contact portions of a connecting arrangement of the towel. The connection portions of the connector can be aligned along a continuous contact area to cooperate with the contact arrangement extending along the edge of the towel. The bar itself can be cantilevered, but may also form a cantilever itself, wherein one face of the bar forms the base. A further face, for example the bottom or front face can form the contact surface. The edge of the towel with the connection arrangement can for example abut against the bottom face of the bar, so that the towel may hang down from the edge.

[0024] The connector may be provided with a groove that extends along the connection portions. Such groove may visually and / or physically assist a user in aligning the towel with the holder, and may assist in securing the towel in place on the holder. The groove may be formed to correspond with an edge of the towel along which the connection arrangement of the towel extends. The length of the groove may e.g. be chosen slightly longer than an edge of the towel to be connected, and e.g. have a depth and / or a width of 0.1-10 mm, preferably about 1 mm. The groove may e.g. be recessed relative to a face of the connector, and may be embodied as an open channel or slot that facilitates engagement of the towel with the holder. The groove may be formed between flux conductors, e.g. continuous metal plates that sandwich one or more magnetic bars. In such case, the flux conductors may be used to steer the connection arrangement of the towel to engage the holder in the groove. Elegantly, a connection arrangement that is located at the very edge of the towel, e.g. a connection arrangement that extends as a flexible continuous line along a short edge of a towel, may then be held in or correspond with the groove between the flux conductors, so that the towel can be hung downward from the holder in a connection plane that extends from the holder in which the flux conductors have focused the magnetic flux.

[0025] In addition, the invention provides for a system of at least one towel as described above and at least one holder as described above.

[0026] Additionally, the invention provides for a method of hanging a towel to dry, in particular according to claim 17, and in particular a towel described above, and / or a holder described above. In the method, a plurality of connection portions of a connection arrangement of the towel are arranged on a line extending across a body of the towel and are connected to corresponding cantilevered connection portions of the holder that are arranged on a line, such that the body of the towel is pulled taut along the line, and wherein the body of the towel is hung to extend freely downward from its connection portions. This can result in a foldless, freely hanging towel, for example in a flat vertical plane with free space at both faces, that can allow for faster drying and thereby reduction of the development of odors, fungi and / or molds. This can allow for the towel to remain fresh longer and can lengthen the window of use between having to wash the towel. As set out above, the connection arrangement can extend along an edge of the towel, and the body can extend downward from the edge free of folds.

[0027] In the method, the connection portions of the connecting arrangement of the towel can be magnetically coupled to the holder, preferably with only a thin layer of cloth in between the connection arrangement the and holder. This may e.g. be achieved by pulling an edge of the towel with the connecting arrangement taut between the thumb and index fingers of both hands so that it forms a straight line, and then moving the connection portions towards the holder so that they are magnetically coupled to the holder. The contacting portions can be pulled into cooperation by magnetic coupling.

[0028] Further advantageous aspects of the invention are set out in the description and appended claims.

[0029] The technical features described in the paragraphs and sentences above can be isolated from the context, and the isolated technical features from the different paragraphs and sentences can be combined. Such combinations are herewith specifically disclosed in this description.

[0030] The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.

[0031] In the drawings:

[0032] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a schematic overview of a towel and a holder;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a wall mounted holder with a towel connected thereto;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of a different embodiment of a wall mounted holder and two towels connected to said holder.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a detail of a front view of an embodiment of a towel attached to a holder;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows an isometric bottom view of an embodiment of a towel that is semi-attached to a holder.

[0037] It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations that are given by way of non-limited examples. In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a towel 1 comprising a body of water absorbent cloth 2 that includes a connection arrangement 3 is depicted. The connection arrangement 3 is for connection of the towel 1 to a holder 7. The connection arrangement 3 includes a plurality of connection portions 4 that are arranged on a line 5 extending across the body 2. In the shown example, the plurality of connection portions 4 extend from one side of the body 2 of the towel 1 continuously in a straight line to the other side of the body 2 of the towel 1. The connection portions 4 are here embodied as metal beads clamped with interspace on a thin flexible wire. While the connection portions 4 are connected to each other on the wire, they are sufficiently interspaced such that the pliability of the body 2 of the towel 1 is not significantly affected. More specifically, not significantly affecting the pliability may result in there not being a noticeable difference between the towel 1 of the invention or a conventional towel in use, e.g. drying, folding or washing. The connecting portions 4 may be enveloped by waterproof plastic sheeting so as to prevent wear of the towel 1 (not shown). The connection portions 4 are mounted to the body 2 of the towel 1 such that consecutive connection portions 4 of the connection arrangement 3 on the line 5 are pliable relative to each other so as to allow folding and pulling taut of the cloth 2. The connection portions 4 are arranged for magnetic coupling with the holder 7. More specifically, the connection portions 4 are magnetizable. In order to facilitate a better magnetic coupling with the holder 7, the connection portions 4 can include a planar contact area 8 for cooperation with the holder 7 (not shown). As shown, the contact areas of the connection portions 4 face outward from the body 2 of the towel, and a plane through the contact areas of the connection portions 4 extends transversely to the plane of the body 2. The contacting portions 4 of the towel 1 are arranged such that, when connected to the holder, the body 2 of the towel 1 abuts with the very edge 10 of the body of the towel 1 that is formed by a short longitudinal side to the holder.

[0039] To prevent corrosion of the connection arrangement 3, due to the humid environment and / or a wet body of the towel, the connection arrangement 3 is water resistant and in particular corrosion resistant. This can be done either by providing a water resistant coating on the connection arrangement 3 or by construction the connection arrangement 3 out of water resistant and / or corrosion resistant material.

[0040] The connection portions 4 of the connection arrangement 3 are embedded in the body 2 of the towel 1. In the shown example, the connection portions 4 are included in a seam 9 of the towel 1, more specifically in a seam 9 located at an upper longitudinal side of the towel 1 that forms the edge 10. In the Figures, the seam is shown as being open at the side edges for reasons of clarity. In practice, the seam may be closed at the side edges. FIG. 1A shows an example of the towel 1 being magnetically coupled to the holder 7, FIG. 1B shows the same towel 1 being magnetically uncoupled from the holder 7.

[0041] As show in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in the exemplary embodiment the holder 7 is formed as a bar that includes a single connection portion 4′ to connect the towel to the holder 7 by cooperation with the connection portions 4 of the towel. The connection portion 4′ of the holder is embodied as a single magnetic bar 15 that is sandwiched between continuous metal plates 16 as flux conductors. A groove 17 has been formed between the metal plates corresponds with the edge 10 of the towel 1 along which the connection arrangement 4 of the towel extends. The groove 17 is embodied as an open channel that facilitates engagement of the towel 1 with the holder 7. The flux conductors provide a concentrated magnetic field extending along the groove 17 that is stronger at the ends of the magnetic bar 15, which can be used to steer the connection portions 4 of the towel 1 into magnetic engagement with the connection portion 4′ of the holder 7.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 a holder 7 for a towel 1 as described above is depicted. The holder 7 comprises a base 11 for mounting the holder 7 to an upright support surface 12, for example a wall, door or cabinet. In the depicted example, the base 11 has two feet, connected to a plate. Said plate is mounted to an upright support surface 12, in the shown example a wall. Mounting can be done using conventional mounting methods and / or means, such as using screws, nails or glue. The two feet, extending from the plate allow for airflow around not only the front face, but also the back face of the towel, and can thereby improve the speed of drying the towel. The holder 7 furthermore comprises a connector 13 that includes a plurality of cantilevered connection portions 4 that are arranged on a line 6. The connector 13 includes the connection portions 4′ of the holder. The connector 13 includes a bar 14 in which the connection portions 4 of the holder are housed. The connection portions 4′ of the holder include a row of interspaced permanent magnets, for forming a magnetic coupling with the magnetizable material of the connection portions 4 of the towel 1. A face of the bar 14 provides a contact area for cooperation with contact portions of a connection arrangement of the towel 1. The face of the magnets is of the holder 7 is flush with the bottom face of the bar 14, and has been provided with a protective coating or layer. The magnets are arranged with their magnetic flux extending in substantially vertical direction, i.e. the N-Z axis being substantially upright. FIG. 3 shows an example of the holder 7, which is arranged to form a magnetic coupling with two towels 1. An additional bar 14, comprising connector 13, is provided, and interspaced from the first bar 14. More specifically, the interspacing is provided by two interspaced feet connecting the additional bar 14 to the first bar 14. This allows for hanging multiple towels 1 from the holder 7, and allows for an interspace to be maintained between each towel 1, such that the drying speed can be improved. In another embodiment, not shown, consecutive bars 14 of the holder may be vertically staggered. This way, towels connected at bars more at the front of the holder leave a clear view to connect towels at bars more at the back of the holder. In such embodiment, the holder may e.g. form an arrangement that is stepped upward from front to back. As an alternative or in addition, a bar more near the front may have a smaller width than a bar more to the back, so that the holder holds towels of different widths and the wider towels are hung more at the back for ease of access.

[0043] As described above, the plurality of connection portions 4 of the connection arrangement 3 of the towel 1 are arranged on a line 5 extending across a body 2 of the towel 1 and are connected to corresponding cantilevered connection portions 4′ of the holder 7 that are arranged on the line 5, such that the body 2 of the towel 1 is pulled taut along the line 5. The body 2 of the towel 1 is hung to extend freely downward from its connection portions 4. This can result in a foldless, freely hanging towel 1. As an example, the towel 1 can first be pulled taut and connected by its corners, via the connection arrangement 3, to the holder 7. Due to the magnetic forces between the connection arrangement 3 and the holder 7, the unconnected connection portions 4 of the towel on the line between the corners of the towel 1, will connect to the holder 7. To facilitate engagement, a central portion of the connection arrangement that corresponds with the center of the edge of the towel may be connected first, e.g. with a relatively strong magnet in the center of the holder.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, a detail of a corner portion of the towel 1 and holder 7 is shown. In the shown example, the connection portions 4 have been embedded in the seam 9 of the towel 1. The connection portions 4 are provided on a line 6, where they are connected to the bar 14 via the connector 13.

[0045] Turning to FIG. 5, showing an isometric bottom view of the towel 1 and the holder 7 in the process of the towel 1 being removed from the holder 7. As shown, the towel 1 is only partially connected to the bar 14 via the connector 13. In this figure, it can be seen that the bottom side of the bar 14 comprises connection portions 4′ provided on a line 6. In addition, the connection portions 4′ are provided in a recessed portion of the bar 14.

[0046] Many variations will be apparent to the skilled person in the art. For example, connection portions at corners of the towel may be larger so as to facilitate fulling the edge of the towel taut, and to facilitate strong magnetic coupling at the corners of the towel. Similarly, the connection portions of the holder may be stronger and / or more focused at e.g. the edges and / or the center, e.g. with magnets that present a more intense flux compared to other magnets of the connection arrangement of the holder. Further, the holder may be arranged to cooperate with different types and shapes of towels. Also, the edge of the towel may be concave and the connection portions may extend in a curved line, and the connector of the holder may be correspondingly convex. The holder may then e.g. be arranged as a smile. The connector of the holder may be convex, in particular at a contact area for cooperation with contact portions of a connecting arrangement of the towel, preferably to correspond with a concave edge of a towel.

[0047] Also, the holder may be embodied as a strip of magnetic tape that can e.g. be attached to the outside of a bottom of a cabinet, or a door handle of kitchen appliance such as an oven or microwave. Further, a towel may be coupled to a non-dedicated holder, e.g. a pipe extending horizontally in a bathroom. Such variations are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A towel, comprising a body of absorbent cloth including a connection arrangement for connection of the towel to a holder, the connection arrangement including a plurality of connection portions that is arranged on a line extending across the body, the connection portions being mounted to the body of the towel such that consecutive connection portions of the connection arrangement on the line are pliable relative to each other so as to allow folding and pulling taut of the cloth.

2. The towel according to claim 1, wherein connection portions are arranged for magnetic coupling with the holder.

3. The towel according to claim 2, wherein connection portions are magnetizable.

4. The towel according to claim 3, wherein connection portions include a contact area for cooperation with the holder, in particular a planar contact area.

5. The towel according to claim 3, wherein the connection arrangement is water resistant, in particular corrosion resistant.

6. The towel according to claim 3, wherein connection portions are embedded in the body of the towel.

7. The towel according to claim 3 wherein connection portions are included in a seam of the towel.

8. The towel according to claim 3, wherein the connection arrangement is included in an edge of the towel.

9. The towel according to claim 3, wherein contact areas of connection portions face outward from the body of the towel, and preferably a plane through the contact areas of the connection portions extends transversely to the plane of the body.

10. The towel according to claim 3, wherein an edge of the towel is slanted or contoured and the connection portions extend in a correspondingly slanted or contoured line along the edge.

11. A holder for a towel, in particular for a towel according to claim 1, comprising a base for mounting to a surface, e.g. a wall, door, cabinet or ceiling, and a connector that includes one or more cantilevered connection portions that are arranged on a line.

12. The holder of claim 11, wherein the connection portions include permanent magnetic material.

13. The holder of claim 12, wherein the connector includes a bar in which the connection portions are housed, a face of the bar providing a contact area for cooperation with contact portions of a connecting arrangement of the towel.

14. The holder of claim 12, wherein the connection portions include flux conductors, preferably magnetically conductive plates that extend along sides of one or more connection portions that are embodied as permanent magnets.

15. The holder of claim 12, wherein the connector of the holder is convex, in particular at a contact area for cooperation with contact portions of a connecting arrangement of the towel, preferably to correspond with a concave edge of a towel.

16. A system of at least one towel according to claim 1 and at least one holder according to claim 11.

17. A method of hanging a towel to dry, in particular a towel according to claim 1, and / or a holder according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of connection portions of a connection arrangement (3) of the towel that is arranged on a line extending across a body of the towel is connected to corresponding cantilevered connection portions of the holder that are arranged on a line, such that the body of the towel is pulled taut along the line and wherein the body. of the towel is hung to extend freely downward from its connection portions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the connection arrangement extends along an edge of the towel, and wherein the body extends downward from the edge free of folds.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the connection portions of the connecting arrangement of the towel are magnetically coupled to the holder, preferably with a thin layer of material, in particular cloth in between the connection arrangement and the holder.

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