Beds – Ground mat
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-02-27
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Ground mat
C005S419000, C005S656000, C383S004000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192536
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to towels, blankets and similar products that are used at a beach and more particularly to beach products which are able to maintain utility under less than optimum atmospheric conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has been recognized that standard bath towels and blankets are not well suited for use at the beach or other outdoor forums. Wind and other variable atmospheric conditions often cause such household items to move or blow away. Transporting the towels or blanket to the beach and, more importantly, from the beach after the towel has become damp requires use of a bag or tote which must be inconveniently stored while the user is attempting to relax at the beach. For these and other reasons, there have been several attempts to provide a beach towel which is optimized for outdoor use at a distant forum.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,737, to Rote, a Beach and Picnic blanket with detachable triangular pockets at each corner made of flexible material is disclosed. The pockets are constructed to contain material such as sand, a weighted bag, or stones.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,618, to Greer et al., a weighted towel using a hidden weighted cord sewn into the perimeter of the towel is disclosed. Greer et al. also disclosed a storage pouch attached to a top end of the towel for storing the towel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,906, to Roberts, a towel with closeable pockets at each corner for containing sand is disclosed. The pockets may be lined with a waterproof layer such as plastic to keep the sand dry even if water comes in contact with the blanket.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,229, to Eberhart, a beach towel with pockets at the corners and a weight in a sealed package for each pocket is disclosed. Each pocket serves as a receptacle for personal effects and valuables by including a closeable opening that simulates a permanent closure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,880, to Wike, a beach towel with pockets for holding articles is disclosed, the pockets have integral closures and may be lined with waterproof or water-repellant material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,411, to Wong, a beach blanket with pockets is disclosed. The pockets are designed for holding sand without closures.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,807, to Battistella, a beach blanket with a detachable pillow and carrying case having pockets is disclosed. The towel is a highly absorbent fabric with an inflatable pillow attached to the towel by means of a hook and loop type fastener. The inflatable pillow may be manufactured of vinyl with welded seams which prevent air leakage after inflation. One edge of the pillow is provided with a series of a storage compartments for small items to be carried, the small storage compartments being fastened by means of a hook and loop type fastener. The beach towel with pillow may be rolled up and bound by the binding cords attached to one lateral edge of the beach towel.
Unfortunately, none of the foregoing attempts provide a towel or blanket specifically optimized for use at the beach, since each requires the user to purchase a separate carrying case to transport the towel. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a towel or blanket which is optimized for use at the beach.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a towel or blanket which is optimized for the beach. Accordingly, the towel should resist being blown away by wind, pack easily into a self contained pocket, shed sand from its bottom surface when picked up so as not to annoy other beach-goers, and have pockets for storage of small items necessary for a nice day at the beach.
In order to meet these and other objects which will become apparent for reference to the disclosure set forth below, the present invention provides a beach towel, together with a plurality of corner pockets, a pillow attached to the towel which doubles as a carrying case, and a plurality of fixtures around the perimeter of the towel for the attachment of additional towels. On a bottom side of the blanket, a second material, may be adhered to the fabric of the towel so that sand falls off the towel or may be easily knocked off without undue shaking of the towel which may irritate other beach-goers on a windy day.
In a preferred arrangement, each pocket may be filled with sand, personal effects or other material to weigh down the towel. Each pocket has a means for closure at its opening to prevent the contents of the pocket from becoming emptied unintentionally. Thus, when the pockets are filled, the towel is held down by the weight of the pockets and thus resistant to being lifted by wind. The pockets may comprise two chambers: one chamber for containing sand or other weighted material, with an opening which faces away from the center of the blanket; and a second chamber for containing personal effects such as keys or money, with an opening facing toward the center of the blanket. The chambers may be made of waterproof material to prevent personal items such as money or wallets from becoming damaged, as well as preventing sand used to weight the blanket from becoming wet and therefore difficult to empty.
Advantageously, the invention includes a middle pocket which may be used as a pillow, or may be reversed inside out for packing the towel within. The middle pocket may be detachable or fixed to one edge of the towel. The opening of the middle pocket may be closed with Velcro, a hook and loop fastener by a drawstring which may also be used as a strap for carrying the towel when attached to a loop at an inside corner of the middle pocket.
In an especially preferred arrangement, the fasteners along the perimeter of the towel are provided for connecting a second wind resistant beach towel on top of a first wind resistant beach towel so that the second towel may act as a blanket. In addition, these fasteners allow one wind resistant beach towel to be attached to another so that adjoined towels may cover a larger area.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and constitute part of the disclosure herein, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and serve to explain the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3226737 (1966-01-01), Rote
patent: 4278719 (1981-07-01), Sarnecki
patent: 4634618 (1987-01-01), Greer et al.
patent: 4659906 (1987-04-01), Roberts
patent: 5018229 (1991-05-01), Eberhart
patent: 5072467 (1991-12-01), Hunt
patent: 5406659 (1995-04-01), Camp
patent: 5443880 (1995-08-01), Wike
patent: 5499411 (1996-03-01), Wong
patent: 5644807 (1997-07-01), Battistella
patent: 5729846 (1998-03-01), Sullivan
patent: 5774912 (1998-07-01), Dominique
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Trettel Michael F.
LandOfFree
Wind resistant beach towel does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wind resistant beach towel, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wind resistant beach towel will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2573222