Flexible bags – Convertible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2001-08-21
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
Convertible
C383S018000, C383S038000, C224S576000, C005S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276828
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an improved beach towel and tote bag combination for use when lounging at a beach or other recreational area. The towel incorporates novel features that allow for simple and rapid conversion to a tote bag configuration, and includes externally accessible pockets that serve a primary purpose of carrying loose articles, a secondary purpose of providing a headrest for the user, and the combination serves a tertiary purpose of providing a shoulder or back cover to protect the user from undesired weather conditions. The storage pockets incorporate a novel feature to facilitate removal of sand or dirt particles collected during use.
2. Description of Related Art
Excursions to the beach or other recreation areas generally involve long walks to the ultimate destination because available parking lots, train and bus stations are usually located at a considerable distance. To enjoy those excursions, people usually carry a beach towel, blanket, or mat as well as other containers or tote bags for transporting various personal items, such as food, drinks, clothing, reading materials, sunglasses, suntan lotion, etc. Carrying all the separate equipment and provisions results in substantial discomfort and inconvenience and may necessitate several trips before everything is in place. It is accordingly highly advantageous to combine items so as to reduce the total number to be carried. To that end, various attempts have been made in the past to provide combination tote bags and towels with storage pockets and carrying straps. By so doing, the total number of separate items that must be carried is significantly reduced.
Information relevant to attempts to address this problem can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,197,891 to Comollo, 4,856,912 to Damus et al, 5,110,219 to Lopes, 5,346,308 to Buhot et al, 5,390,381 to LaMantia, 5,533,653 to Kaufman, 5,629,071 to Feldman, 5,618,110 to Sullivan, 5,688,052 to Compton. However, these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages:
a) no separate provisions for carrying small items, such as valuables;
b) the towel, when converted to a tote bag, is large and cumbersome and difficult to carry;
c) long zippers, subject to jamming as a result of being contaminated with sand and dirt, are employed as the means for securing the towel in the folded, tote bag, configuration;
d) multi-step, complex, and confusing folding schemes are employed, and are either ignored or most likely employed only if special instructions are provided and followed;
e) the folding schemes are such that sand and dirt particles will end up inside the tote bag and thus are carried home by the user who must then take special steps to dispose of them; and
f) no provisions are incorporated to facilitate use of the towel as a shoulder or back cover to protect the user from undesired weather conditions.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a towel and tote bag combination designed for simple and rapid conversion that can be readily accomplished by anyone, including most children. There is also a need for the tote bag to have convenient externally accessible pockets, which incorporate a novel means for removal of sand or dirt particles collected during use at a beach or other recreational area. Finally, there is a need for a beach towel that can also be utilized as a means of protecting the user from undesired weather conditions, such as excessive sun, wind, or cold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The beach towel/tote bag invention is directed to an improved beach towel and tote bag combination that satisfies these needs. In the preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a large rectangular beach towel of flexible, absorbent, fabric sized approximately twice as long as it is wide, and a small beach towel, of the same or similar fabric, cut to one quarter of the length and the same width as the large towel. The small towel is cut in half and a strip of perforated mesh or screen fabric, approximately three inches wide and as long as the small towel's width, is stitched in-between the two small towel halves. A transverse cut is made at a line approximately four inches from each opposing edge of the small towel, and each cut section is reattached to the remaining portion of the small towel by means of zippers or other equivalent closure means. The small towel is then placed flat, zippers facing out, over the matching upper quarter section of the large towel, and the two towels stitched together along the longitudinal centerline of the strip of perforated mesh or screen fabric. The small towel ends are then lined up with the large towel sides, and the two towels stitched together along the small towel's perimeter, incorporating small pleats at the mesh fabric extremities, thus forming two zippered pockets on the front upper quarter section of the large towel. The strips of perforated mesh or screen fabric provide a novel escape path for dirt or sand trapped in the pockets during use at a beach or recreation area.
Straps are stitched along the longitudinal edges of the small towel, extending beyond the side edges of the large towel, creating a loop on each side. The loops are for use as tote bag or backpack carrying straps. Small loop tabs are stitched to both front side edges of the large towel at the longitudinal centerline, and one half of a snap secured to each loop tab facing the back side of the large towel. The matching half of each cooperating snap is secured to the backside edge of the upper loop straps, so that the snaps will match and secure the large towel halves when they are folded onto each other along the transverse centerline.
Beach towel/tote bag is folded into a tote bag configuration following very simple and easily understood steps. The first step involves folding the backside of large towel in half at the transverse centerline and then lifting it by the loop tabs with the snaps facing away. Beach towel/tote bag is then shaken to loosen and remove accumulated sand, dirt or grass. The large towel is again folded transversely on its backside to form a quarter segment, and the matching cooperating snaps secured to each other. The final fold is made along the longitudinal axes so that the loop straps line up with each other forming the tote bag configuration. Beach towel/tote bag is again shaken to remove, through the mesh or screen fabric panel at the bottom of each pocket, sand and dirt collected during use.
In the first mode of operation, beach towel/tote bag is placed on the ground or sand to lie on, the zippered pockets facing down. Soft items in the pockets will form pillows to support the user's head when lying on the towel. After folding as hereinabove described, beach towel/tote bag can be carried as a tote bag by putting both straps on one shoulder or as a backpack by putting one strap on each shoulder with the pockets facing out.
In the second mode of operation, beach towel/tote bag can be used as a cover by unfolding the final longitudinal fold, but not disengaging the snaps, placing over the shoulders with the pockets facing out, and bringing the straps around the user's front. If desired, arms may be placed through the loops of the straps to hold beach towel/tote bag on the shoulders.
In a third mode of operation, beach towel/tote bag can be used as an extended cover by unfolding to half the large towel's length, but not disengaging the snaps, placing over the shoulders with the pockets facing out, and bringing the straps around the user's front. If desired, arms may be placed through the loops of the straps to hold beach towel/tote bag on the shoulders.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3477552 (1969-11-01), Goldman
patent: 4197891 (1980-04-01), Comollo
patent: 4587682 (1986-05-01), Schultz
patent: 4671393 (1987-06-01), Rainey
patent: 4856912 (1989-08-01), Damus et al.
patent: 4886150 (1989-12-01), Fitzsimmons
patent: 5110219 (1992-05-01), Lopes
patent: 5346308 (1994-09-01), Buhol et al.
patent: 5370460 (1994-12-01), Nelson
patent: 5390381 (1995
Otley Tamara D.
Varadi-Saul Kristin K.
Gumpel Charles S.
Pascua Jes F.
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