Patent Application
20230329460
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to blankets and more particularly pertains to a new blanket for retaining body heat of a user. The present invention discloses a blanket that fits comfortably around a seated user without significant bunching of the blanket. The hands of the user can be positioned in pockets attached to a rear of the blanket.
The prior art relates to blankets. Prior art blankets may comprise blankets with apertures for heads and/or hands, blankets with head apertures and foot pockets, and blankets with head apertures and integral head pads. Prior art blankets also may comprise blankets with arcuate cutouts extending into their top edges. Related prior art includes blankets for use with children in car seats. What is lacking in the prior art is a blanket having an aperture that is positioned in its upper half with a slit extending from the aperture to an upper end of the blanket defines a pair of flaps that can extend over shoulders of the user and at least partially down a back of the user. Further lacking in the prior art is a pair of pouch panels, which is attached to a rear face of the blanket and defines a pair of pockets in which the user's hands can be positioned.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a blanket. An aperture is positioned in an upper half of the blanket and substantially equally distant from opposed sides of the blanket. The aperture is sized substantially complementarily to a neck of a user. A slit extends from the aperture to an upper end of the blanket and defines a pair of flaps. The slit is configured to facilitate donning of the blanket by the user so that the neck of the user is positioned through the aperture and the flaps extend over shoulders of the user and at least partially down a back of the user. A pair of pouch panels is attached to a rear face of the blanket and defines a pair of pockets. Each pocket has an opening that faces a respective opposed side of the blanket. The pocket is configured for selective insertion of an associated hand of the user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A slit 20 extends from the aperture 14 to an upper end 22 of the blanket 12 and defines a pair of flaps 24. The slit 20 is configured to facilitate donning of the blanket 12 by the user so that the neck of the user is positioned through the aperture 14 and the flaps 24 extend over shoulders of the user and at least partially down a back of the user.
A pad 26 is attached to the blanket 12 and extends circumferentially around the aperture 14. The slit 20 extends through the pad 26. The pad 26 is configured to support the neck of the user. The present invention anticipates the pad 26 being removably attached to the blanket 12 so that the blanket 12 and the pad 26 can be laundered separately.
A pair of pouch panels 28 is attached to a rear face 30 of the blanket 12 and defines a pair of pockets 32, which are positioned proximate to a waist of the user upon donning of the blanket 12. Each pocket 32 has an opening 34 that faces a respective opposed side 18 of the blanket 12 and thus is configured for selective insertion of an associated hand of the user. The pockets 32 can provide additional insulation for the hands and also a means of comfortably supporting arms of the user. The present invention also anticipates the pair of pouch panels 28 comprising a single pouch panel 28 that defines an open ended sleeve (not shown) into which the hands of the user could be inserted.
A rear panel 36 is attached to the rear face 30 of the blanket 12 and defines a storage pouch 38. The storage pouch 38 has an entry 40 that faces the aperture 14. The entry 40 may be zippered, as is shown in
The blanket assembly 10 also may comprise a pair of vibrators 42, with the vibrators 42 being attached singly to the flaps 24. The vibrators 42 are positioned against the back of the user upon donning the blanket 12 and are configured to massage the back of the user.
In one example of use wherein the blanket assembly 10 is being utilized by a user seated in a chair, or the like, to cover themself, each of the flaps 24 is grasped in a hand of the user. The blanket 12 then is pulled upwardly so that the neck of the user passes through the slit 20 into the aperture 14. While leaning forward, the flaps 24 are released so that they drape over shoulders of the user and at least partially down the back of the user. When the user leans against a back of the chair, the blanket 12 is substantially fixed in position. A similar procedure would be employed by an assistant for a user who is seated but requires assistance in positioning the blanket 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
