Patent Application
20170273515
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to bathing towels, more specifically relates to an elongated towel with one or more pockets on either faces for cleaning and/or drying difficult to reach body areas during or after showering.
2. Description of Related Art
Bathing towels generally comprise an absorbent fabric for absorbing water from the skin surface of the body after shower. Generally, cleaning using towels involves pat drying the skin surface to wipe out the remaining water droplets. Towels exists in different sizes, textures and materials suiting to the needs of the user. Some towels comprise one or more compartments for receiving soap or shower lotion or gel, which can be used for cleaning the body during showering or bathing. Towels can also be used for other applications such as applying lotion, massaging or providing warm compress.
It has long been a problem to reach for and properly apply a cleaning agent across the back portion of the body while bathing. In addition, it is difficult to access the upper back region for cleaning or drying after shower using conventional towels. Though, a number of cleaning devices such as back scrubbers, brushes, washcloths and sponges are used for cleaning the upper back portion of human body, these devices still fail to provide options for cleaning intricate areas such as behind ears, within ear folds, between toes and the like. Moreover, it is a tedious task to clean difficult to reach body areas especially by children, elderly and other users with joint disability or upper limb disability.
Existing cleaning devices, which comprise handle loops made of hard materials on both the ends of the fabric, might hurt user's hands. Some cleaning devices may comprise rough material such as nylon net or hard fiber bristles, which might cause abrasions on skin surface. Most of the towels used for cleaning the body surface during bathing or drying the body surface after bathing, may comprise a piece of absorbent fabric. However, these towels do not allow cleaning or drying of difficult to reach body areas such as the area behind the ears, between the earlobe- between the toes and the like, while bathing.
Hence, there exists a need for an easy-to-use, compact towel for cleaning the human body including the back region of the human body. In addition, there is a need for a towel or washcloth which facilitates easy access to and cleaning of difficult-to-reach body areas including the region between toes, within the ear folds and behind the ear lobes.
The present invention relates to a towel for cleaning hard-to-reach human body areas during or after bathing. The towel comprises an elongated body comprising a front surface and a rear surface and at least one pocket disposed on each of the front surface and the rear surface, at opposing ends for receiving at least a portion of a first hand of a user. The pocket enables to clean hard-to-reach areas of the body by reaching using a fingertip of the first hand within the pocket. The pocket allows delicate fingertip directed cleansing of difficult to reach or hard-to-reach body areas such as behind the earlobes, between the toes, within the ear folds and similar regions.
The towel further comprises a handle loop at a corner of the elongated body for receiving a second hand of the user. The towel when stretched by holding the pocket using the first hand and the handle loop using the second hand allows cleaning the back region of the body using the elongate body of the towel. Thus, in addition to cleaning the hard-to-reach body areas, the towel of the present invention also allows cleaning or drying of the back region of the human body.
In an embodiment, the pockets are formed by folding back the ends of the elongate body of absorbent fabric in opposite directions and sewing along the sides of the folded portions. Pockets formed by folding back the opposing ends of the elongate body results in a continuous fabric without any borders that might interfere during cleaning. In another embodiment, the elongate body may comprise one or more fabric layers, except at folded back ends defining pocket regions. Multiple fabric layers contribute to enhanced thickness or firmness of the towel.
In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The first pocket 106 or second pocket 116 enables the user to clean hard-to-reach areas of the body by reaching using a fingertip of the user's hand within the pocket. By placing the hand inside the pocket, the user can direct the outer surface of the pocket to the body area with the use of one or more fingertips and perform cleaning or drying of that particular body area. Hard-to-reach body areas may include but not limited to the area behind ears, within the ear folds, between the toes and the like. The pockets 106, 116 can also be used for holding or storing a soap bar or any cleansing agent.
In an embodiment, the first pocket 106 and second pocket 116 can be formed by folding back the opposing ends of the elongate body 102 in opposite directions and sewing the sides of the each folded portion to the elongate body 102. The pockets 106, 116 formed by folding back the opposing ends and sewing the sides of the folded portions with the elongate body 102 results in a continuous fabric without any borders that might interfere during cleaning or drying. In another embodiment, the elongate body 102 may comprise one or more fabric layers, except at folded back ends defining the pocket regions 106, 116. Multiple fabric layers contribute to enhanced thickness or firmness of the towel 100.
In an embodiment, the handle loop 130 comprises a fabric strip or ribbon sewn or attached to a corner of the elongated body 102 of absorbent fabric. The handle loop 130 can be used for holding the towel 100 using one hand and for hanging the towel 100 on a hook or a faucet for drying. The handle loop 130 can be used to hold the towel 100 while reaching for hard-to-reach areas of the body during cleaning or drying. The opening 110 for thumb allows gripping of the pocket, which allows efficient usage of the pocket.
Traditional washcloths or bathing towels are incapable of cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the body. Whereas, the towel 100 of the present invention allows easy usage by children, elderly and other users with joint disability or upper limb disability for cleaning of difficult to reach body. The towel 100 allows users to easily reach for and clean or dry hard-to-reach areas including upper back, lower back region, behind the ears, inside the ear folds, between the toes and the like. The towel 100 can be packed snugly in any baggage during traveling.
The towel 100 of the present invention may comprise different dimensions according to the users and their needs. In an exemplary embodiment, the towels designed for Toddlers may comprise a size of 14″×5 or 16″×5″ and 5″ pockets with a thumb opening at 2.5-4″ position. Towels for Children may comprise a size of 18″×6″ or 16″×6″ and 6″ pockets with a thumb opening at 3-5″ position. Adult size towels may comprise a size of 18″×6″ or 20″×6″ and 6″ pockets with the thumb opening at 3-5″ position. Large size towels may comprise a size of 20″×6″ or 22″×6″ and 6″ pockets with the thumb opening at 3-5″ position. Extra-large for big and tall users may comprise a size of 24″×7″ or 26″×7″ and 7″ pockets with thumb opening at 4-6″ position.
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
